Something Has Changed
by xxKLxx
Summary: Starts at pg.350 of new moon. Bella is at Billy's while Jake and the pack search for Victoria. She falls asleep on Jake's bed and wakes to find her best friend asleep next to her. She watches him sleep and realizes, maybe something has changed?
1. Chapter 1

_The story so far…_

 _Bella meets Edward, falls in love, drama happens, James tries to kill Bella, Edward kills James. Edward leaves Bella because he's a jerk, Bella is broken inside, grows closer to Jacob. Jacob is a wolf, struggles to tell Bella, Bella eventually realises what he is, accepts it._

 _The pack realises that the safest place for Bella is at the Res._

 _ **Page 350 of New Moon.**_

I felt awkward, always taking up space at Billy's. I did some studying for another calculus test that was coming up next week, but I could only look at math for so long. When I didn't have something obvious to do with my hands, I felt I ought to be making conversation with Billy. But Billy wasn't one for filling long silences, so the awkwardness continued.

On Wednesday, I arrived at Billy's early in hopes to catch Jake before he headed out. Charlie had gone into work early and I couldn't stand being at home alone, unprotected. I sat on the sofa as Billy ate his breakfast, flipping through the channels. That didn't last long and I began to feel claustrophobic.

"I'm just going to go to the library" I said to Billy as I grabbed my jacked and headed for the door. He barely looked up as he nodded and continued reading his paper.

I knew that there was still so much I had to learn about the wolves and I guessed that the library in La Push would have some books on the subject. I hopped into my truck and set off down the street towards the centre of the village. It was quiet, but then it was still early.

I parked the truck in the abandoned carpark and looked around before exiting the safety of the truck. As I thought about it though, it really was ridiculous how safe I felt inside my locked truck. If Victoria came for me, she would open it like it was nothing more than a tin can.

I wrapped my arms around myself as the thought of Victoria tearing into my truck almost consumed me. With my head between my knees, I took some breaths and started to feel ok. I took one look around at my surroundings, got out of the truck and walked towards the library. It wasn't very big, but I was certain I would find something interesting here.

I browsed the shelves and within half an hour I had a pile of books that I was intent on reading. I took them to the counter and handed over my driver's licence as proof of identity before being granted a library card. I knew I could have sat here to read, but I also knew that if Jake came home looking for me, he would worry if I wasn't there.

Ordinarily, I would have felt trapped by not being able to go where I wanted, but at Jakes, and on the reservation, I felt completely free. I knew that no vampire would hurt me while I was under the protection of the Quileute's. The claustrophobia I would just have to get used to.

I thanked the librarian and took the borrowed books to my truck. There was a little activity on the streets now, children were riding their bikes and people were out getting their paper.

I drove back to Jakes little red house with a new sense of urgency. The books filled me with intrigue and I was desperate to know as much as I could about the supposed legends. The books, of course, were all from the non-fiction section, however, I knew now more than ever that where there were myths, legends and stories, there was truth behind it.

I pulled into the driveway and took my books with me to a beautiful tree in the yard where I sat to get started on the pile.

It was about lunch time when I got up and headed for the house. I found Billy in the living room watching some sporting game on tv and offered to make him lunch. That was something useful I could do, at least.

I ransacked the kitchen till I found something that could feed not only Billy and me, but Jake as well. I knew he would be hungry when he got back, whenever that may be, so I wanted him to have something good to eat when he did.

I found enough to make some sandwiches for lunch and a casserole for later. I took my time creating masterpieces with bread and sandwich fillings before putting a plate in front of Billy. I peeled and chopped vegetables and cubed the beef and put it in the biggest pot I could find. I was quite proud of myself, I hadn't made such a big meal before. I wrapped the left-over sandwiches and put them into the fridge before taking a seat at the small dining table.

As I ate, I thought about how at home I felt here. I moved around the kitchen like it was my own and was overcome with just how peaceful and cosy the tiny house was.

I let my mind wander as I nibbled on my sandwiches and flicked though the newspaper that was on the table. I found myself wondering just where Jake was, was he ok? Had they caught Victoria? Had she gotten a hold of one of them? At that, my body shivered and I pushed my now empty plate to the side so I could get my arms around myself.

I hadn't noticed Billy wheel himself towards me until he was right next to me. He put his hand on my upper arm and spoke in a soft voice,

"I'm sure they're ok sweetheart". I nodded. "Why don't you go and have a lay down on Jakes bed?" he suggested.

"That actually sounds like a great idea, thanks Billy" I said.

I took my plate to the sink and checked on the pot that was now simmering on the stove. It had another few hours till it would be ready so I grabbed my pile of books and headed to Jakes room.

I didn't intend on sleeping, I wanted to just be comfortable, relaxed and to read through some more of the books I had borrowed. I kicked off my shoes as I sat down on the bed. I fluffed up the pillows and sat up, reading the first book. After about 10 minutes, I shifted to get more comfortable. I didn't even recall reading more than a page before I fell asleep.

I didn't dream of the horrific things I had dreamt of almost every night for months. Instead, I dreamt of the russet wolf jumping and playing happily in the meadows, laying down next to its warmth. Victoria was nowhere to be seen or even thought of. There was no danger, no fear, just us. The wolf turned into Jake and we were just sitting among the flowers in the field, laughing as though we were carefree teenagers.

I awoke after what seemed like no time at all to the sounds of Jake's light snoring. I opened my eyes and saw that he was asleep next to me. Ordinarily I would have been disturbed by this, but he just looked so peaceful. No angst, no angry lines on his face. There were no obligations, no commitments, just young, carefree Jake, asleep in his bed. I reached over and stroked his face. He didn't flinch in the slightest. I wondered what the time was. It seemed to be dark outside but I was sure I hadn't been sleeping for that long.

I looked over to the clock that was on the wall and gasped when I saw that it was 2am. I had been asleep for over 12 hours. I laid there for a while longer, watching the steady rise and fall of Jake's body as he slept.

I started to think about how much my world had changed in just a few days. It felt like not much time had passed at all since I discovered Jake's fate.

I couldn't believe that I had initially thought he was the monster. The more I thought about it the more it made me realise how insane I was. Jacob just couldn't hurt an innocent person. He was too good. Too pure.

I climbed out of Jakes bed and headed for the bathroom. Once I was done, I went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. The pot that I had created my masterpiece in was empty, washed and on the drying rack along with two bowls and some cutlery. I quickly put it all away before I wandered back down the hall to Jakes room. They must have liked the food then.

I didn't think there was any way I could possibly sleep any more, but I headed back to bed anyway. I climbed back over Jake and settled in under the blanket. It wasn't cold, but I still needed the comfort of a blanket over me.

As I was getting comfortable, Jake rolled over and put his arm around me, pulling me to him. At first it felt a bit too intimate, too close, perhaps it would give off the wrong impression. But then I started thinking about the impression that I wanted to give. Jake was my best friend, he was my rock, my warmth, my heat, my _sun_. My personal sun. Were we really just best friends? As I contemplated this, I allowed myself to get caught up in this moment. I felt so safe, so at ease, so relaxed and just completely normal here with Jake. I almost allowed myself to compare it to the times I had slept next to Edward, but I intentionally pushed that from my mind before it opened any wound that I felt was almost completely healed.

I drifted off back into a peaceful sleep, wrapped in Jakes strong safe arms. I had never felt so safe and so loved. And I didn't object to it.

When I opened my eyes, the sun was starting to peak through the curtains. I was curled up in the crook of Jakes arm. I smiled to myself, remembering how I felt so at ease with it last night. We must have both rolled over at some point and I seemed to have found my way back into his arms. If I had asked myself 24 hours ago how I would have felt about this, I would have thought it was ridiculous. I was so hung up on Edward and the Cullens, so devastated by the loss of that aspect of my life, had I missed what was right in front of me? Certainly, I knew the option was there, but I never felt like I was able to allow myself to take it, to give myself wholly to a new relationship.

Something had changed.

As I looked up at Jake's face, I saw that he was awake too.

"Hey" he said, a little awkwardly.

"Hey back" I whispered. There was definitely something awkward about the way we were greeting each other this morning. I wasn't sure why, it's not like anything _happened_ between us. Certainly nothing physical. For me though, maybe something was different. Maybe I was different. Maybe we could be different?

"Sorry for falling asleep in your bed" I said, hoping to break the silence that had grown.

"It's ok, you must have needed it… I probably should have slept on the sofa" he said.

"No way, this is your bed" I argued. "Besides, I think I liked having someone to sleep next to". I continued. He raised an eyebrow as he contemplated what I said.

"Yeah, I guess I could tell" he said as he gestured to the way I was still using his arm as a pillow. I suddenly felt my face flush with embarrassment and I sat up, flattening my hair as I did.

"I was gonna say Bells, your hair is a mess" he said with a laugh that was pure Jake.

I didn't say anything, instead, gave him a playful slap on his shin as I climbed over him on my way to the bathroom. I used my finger to brush my teeth and ran my fingers through my hair so I could look at least a little bit presentable.

I walked out and found Jake in the kitchen, making tea.

"mmm, just what I need" i said with a smile. "Where's Billy? Isn't he usually up early?" I asked.

"Yeah, he went out early with Charlie this morning... Fishing" he said, as he imitated reeling in a fish.

"I hope they catch something, I can cook up a decent meal with a couple of good fish" I said.

"Speaking of which…" he began, "that casserole last night was amazing Bells" he said.

"it was nothing really, just something simple I threw together. I'm actually surprised it was eatable". I said.

"I had to call Emily for advice because Billy hadn't touched it, but it was amazing. I had four helpings" he said with a laugh.

"Yeah, I imagined you would" I said as I sat down at the table.

As Jake handed me the cup, I thought about last night and how I had begun to think about our friendship in a new light. It certainly didn't help that Jake was wandering around shirtless, with low slung cut off sweats. I shook my head as I found myself staring and thought I heard Jake snigger.

"This tea is great" I said, breaking the silence "What is it?" I asked.

"Just some herbal stuff from the res. Can't get it anywhere else" he said with a hint of pride. That's one thing I loved about Jake. He was so proud of who he was and where he was from. The wolf thing was a complication to him, but I got the impression he was proud of that too.

"Well, it's great" I said with a genuine smile his way. He returned the smile and took the one stride it took to get from the kitchen bench to where I was. He leant over and for a second I thought he was going to kiss me. I braced myself for it, wondering just how much I may object to it, if at all, when he ruffled my hair and whispered into my ear, "If you're good, they might let you take some home". At this, he walked off into the bathroom.

The effect of having Jake so close to my ear, his breath on my neck, gave me goosebumps. I wondered if he was doing it intentionally. Surely not. I walked over to the sofa and sat down, trying to shake off the feelings that were coursing through my body. I picked up the remote and began flicking through the channels much the same as I was 24 hours earlier.

Jake wandered out shortly afterwards, dripping wet, wearing nothing but a towel. If the sight of him shirtless made my mind wander, this sent it into overdrive. He was dripping wet from his head to his toe, a towel low on his hips. He walked over to the armchair and picked up a bag.

"I forgot to mention, when you were asleep last night, I had Embry go get you some clothes from Emily's… I hope they fit or whatever". He said. I got up and took the bag from him, eyeing the contents. They were all my size.

"They should be good, thanks Jake. Or I should say, Embry…" I said. He turned and walked towards the hall, but stopped as he got to a small cupboard. He reached in, pulled out a towel and handed it to me. I felt grateful but slightly awkward. Best friends or not, we were still two teenagers, alone in a house together. I took it from him anyway and headed for the bathroom. I knew I had to say something, otherwise it would turn into the elephant in the room.

"This is only slightly awkward for me" I said, trying to be light hearted.

"What is?" he asked, a grin on his face. He knew damn well what I meant, of that I was certain.

"Jake, you're almost naked, standing there in front of me, dripping wet. We just slept together…." I began.

"Woahhh, wait, Bells… We didn't _sleep_ together, we just _slept_ together" he said.

"Well, of course I know that, but, Jake…." I started, as I gestured to his lack of attire.

"wait… Bella, you're blushing…" he said.

At that, I shook my head violently, stormed off into the bathroom and shut the door. As I stood under the steaming shower, I thought about what had just happened. If I was correct, I think we just flirted.

After a nice long hot shower, I wrapped my towel around myself, realising I left the bag of clothes outside of the bathroom where I dropped it in my haste to retreat from the conversation. I knew that if I went out, wearing a towel, that Jake would think I was somehow extending this little game he was playing. Then again, maybe the game was fun.

I checked myself in the mirror and fixed the towel to ensure it was covering everything. In a moment of madness, I hoisted up my cleavage in an attempt to do what? I wasn't sure.

I opened the door and peered out of the bathroom. I set off, walking down the hall to where the bag sat. I picked it up and headed back up the hall to the bathroom, somewhat grateful that I hadn't run into Jake. As I entered the bathroom, Jake walked out of his bedroom and we just about ran into each other.

"Woahhhh Bella" he said, as he put his hands up in defeat. "You win" he continued. I turned as he said this with one hand holding my towel in the middle and the other holding the bag and on my hip at the same time.

"I win? I didn't realise we were playing a game" I said with a grin.

"We're definitely playing _something_ " he said as he smiled, looked me up and down and walked off down the hall.

I walked into the bathroom and got dressed with a smile on my face. How did we get to this carefree, flirty easy place? Just yesterday there was no way I would have contemplated behaving this way with Jake.

I finished getting dressed and threw the towel into the dirty clothes hamper before I walked out. I felt so much better and Emily's clothes fit perfectly.

Jake was sitting on the sofa watching a cartoon that I hadn't seen since I was a kid and I plonked down next to him.

"What time do you have patrols today?" I asked him.

"No patrols for me today, I've been running so many the last few days, Sam gave me the day off" he said.

"So, you're all mine then?" I asked, not realising the potential innuendo behind my words.

"I am" he said, seemingly _certain_ of the hidden agenda in his own words.

At that, we both relaxed into the sofa and laughed at the cartoon for the next 20 minutes. In that time, we were young and carefree, without a single worry in the world. We were free, nothing to burden our dreams, fill our lives with nightmares or fill our minds with doubt and uncertainty. For those 20 minutes, we were kids again, laughing at cartoons on the sofa.

When the show finished, Jake got up and headed for the kitchen.

"Do you want breakfast?" he asked.

"I'm not really a breakfast person"

"Yeah me too"

"You're turning down food?"

"seems I am…. What do you want to do today?"

I thought about this question for a while and I knew that there was one thing I had been wanting to do for a long time but hadn't had the opportunity.

"How about we go cliff diving?" I asked.

I wasn't sure that my reasoning for cliff diving were the same as they once were. In the past, I wanted so desperately to see Edward that I did these things that would make me hallucinate him. Those times would get me through the days when I missed him so much it was too much to bear.

Now though, I wanted to see him, but the feelings associated with his impending appearance were more about a final goodbye. Last night, although innocent and unintended, had changed something within me. I was seeing Jacob in a different light, wondering how it might be to kiss him, thinking about running my hands over the muscular ridges of his chest, thinking about his hands on my body.

I shook my head out of the dangerous trail that its thoughts were travelling down looked up at Jake who seemed to be waiting for me to speak.

"uh, what?" I asked, feeling stupid that I hadn't heard a word he just said.

"I said, I think that's a great idea, the weather is perfect for it. Jees Bells, where were you just now?" he said, cautiously considering my odd facial expressions.

"Oh trust me Jake, you don't want to know" I said, hoping it didn't give me away.

I wasn't sure why I so desperately wanted to hide my newfound ideas from Jake. I know how he felt about me and I knew that he would be the happiest person in the world if he knew I had thought about him this way. But I knew that if I told him now, he might want to rush into something I wasn't prepared for. I loved Jake, that was a given. He was my best friend. But the events of the night and morning had sparked something more, something lustful that made me want more.

Once again I shook myself out of my thoughts as Jake headed for the door. I followed him out into the fresh cool air. I inhaled the scent I had grown to love and realised that not only was it the scent of the forest and the earth, but it was the scent of safety, of home, of _Jake_.

"We'll drive to the path and hike up from there" Jake said as he headed towards his rabbit. I followed like a puppy.

"Good idea, I think I'll need my energy for the swim back to shore" I said with a laugh.

We drove to the pathway without speaking as the radio played. Music, that had once been a sound that made the wounds in my chest open with new ferocity, was actually relaxing and enjoyable. I tapped my foot to the tune as Jake gawked at me with interest.

"Keep your eyes on the road, hey Jake?"

"Are you… Bella Swan, tapping your foot to music?" he asked, mock shock all over his face.

"So what if I am" I said, smiling. I liked this new banter we were having. Were we flirting?

"It's nice to see" he said, turning back to concentrate on the road.

Without taking his eyes off the road, he reached down, grabbed my hand, holding it as though it were the most natural thing, and rested it on his leg. At his touch, I felt electricity pulse through me. A feeling that I hadn't felt in such a long time. However, this time, the touch was warm and soft. I knew at that moment that everything had changed. Whether I liked it or not, Jake and I were headed somewhere different.

Jake pulled the car over to the side of the road where he finally let go of my hand. My palm was hot and sweaty from the temperature of Jakes skin, but I didn't mind.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Absolutely" I said with determination.

Jake got out of the car and began walking around to my side. I quickly opened my door and jumped out, fearful that having Jake open the door for me would bring back memories of Edward's supposed chivalry. I didn't need that, nor did I want it. I was an independent woman with feminist views running through my veins – I could open my own damn door.

As I planted my feet in the soft earth, I slipped on some mud and headed toward the ground. I reached out for the door of the car to catch myself and failed, so in that split second, I braced myself for impact. With my eyes shut, I waited to hit the ground, but instead, I found myself caught by strong, warm arms.

I opened my eyes and looked up into the face of Jake, who was seconds from laughter.

"I can't take you anywhere, can I?" he asked, a small chuckle coming from inside him.

I felt my face flush as I attempted to steady myself, although Jake still hadn't let me go. That was wise because with my feet still planted in the mud, I slipped once again.

At that, Jake, with me still in his arms, took two big steps backwards and stood me on the grass, closer to the trail. I felt silly, but at the same time so natural.

"Thanks" was all I could think to say.

Jake made sure I was standing up straight and with his hands on my shoulders looked down into my face.

"I will always catch you Bells, you gotta know that" he said with such intensity that I didn't think he was talking about my clumsiness.

"Of course I know, Jake" I said as I wrapped my arms around his torso and pulled him into a hug. It seemed like Jake had learnt to not squeeze me, because he held me firmly but not too much so that I couldn't breathe. It felt so good, so natural to be in his arms. He was strong and warm and smelt like home. It was unnerving.

I released him but he remained holding on to me so I wrapped my arms back around him as he rested his chin on my head. We stood like that for a minute or so before he took a deep breath and released me. I carefully let go of him and turned to head towards the trail.

"So, are you ready to do this thing?" I asked, breaking the awkward air that had somehow wriggled its way between us.

Jake nodded as he shut the door of the rabbit and stashed the key inside the wheel well.

We set off on the trail, slowly because I didn't want to fall again.

"So, about last night" I said in an attempt to create some kind of understanding between us.

"What about it?" he asked.

"It wasn't… awkward… for you?"

"Absolutely not. Bells, you're my best friend. If we can't innocently sleep next to each other, then there is something wrong with our friendship" he said.

I thought about the way he used to word _innocent_ and it got me thinking about how not-so-innocently I was thinking about him this morning. While us sleeping next to each other was innocent and unintentional, it had changed something within me. With my thoughts getting the better of me, I lost concentration on my footing and stumbled, only to be caught by Jake.

"I think I should hold onto your hand from now on" he said. "Unless it's too _awkward_ for you" he added with a grin.

I huffed and grabbed hold of his hand, playfully punching him in the arm with my other hand.

"It wasn't awkward for me" I said. "I just wanted to make sure you were ok with it" I added.

He just looked at me and pulled me along the track, getting deeper into the forest.

"Actually, I slept better last night than I have in a long time" I said, breaking the silence that had grown in the couple of minutes that had passed as we walked on.

"Hmm" he began, seeming to really think about something. "Maybe we should do it again some time… Innocently, of course" he added.

"Of course", I said with a laugh.

We continued walking through the forest, chatting about the most recent adventures of the pack. They had almost gotten hold of Victoria. At one point, Paul had gotten a hold of her arm and tore it off from her elbow. This was promising. She was weakened. It would only be a matter of time before they caught her and took care of her once and for all.

We suddenly came to a clearing and I could hear the ocean roaring below. We still had a while to go before we reached the top, but Jake pulled me toward the cliff edge.

"This is where we'll jump from I think. It's not as high" he said

I looked back towards the trail, feeling like we should keep going, jump from the very top. I wasn't sure whether jumping from lower down would have the same effect. Jake pulled me closer to the edge so I could have a look, and when I peered over the edge, I knew that this would suffice. The water looked so far away, so menacing, crashing onto the rocks below.

I began to question the safety of this insanely crazy idea. Suddenly it all seemed a bit dangerous.

"Is it safe?" I asked.

"As long as you go when I say, and take a run at it, you'll be fine. The rocks are only shallow at the edge. It's pretty deep just there" he pointed to a spot that was only a foot or so from the edge of the rocks.

As I stood, looking down into the water, adrenalin coursed through my body. My heart accelerated and I felt like I could do anything.

I waited for the voice to come, and like clockwork, it arrived. Edwards voice, clear as anything.

 _"Bella, don't do this" t_ he voice pleaded with me.

I didn't answer out loud for fear that Jake would think I'm nuts.

 _"You wanted me to be human, you left me"._

 _"Please, for me"_ , it pleaded.

My heart was racing as I considered the voice in my head. How dare he ask that of me. He couldn't stay, _for me_ , why would I consider his request _for him_?

 _"No! No more. I'm done. This is it, this is the end… Goodbye Edward"._ I closed my eyes and felt like a weight had lifted off my shoulders. The voice was gone and all that I could hear was the steady breathing of the boy, no, the man, standing next to me.

I realised I was still holding Jakes hand and I was grateful because I think that was the only thing keeping me upright.

Jake seemed to realise something was wrong so he turned me toward him and spoke

"Are you ok, you seem a bit shaky?"

"I'm fine, I'm just keen to do this" I said.

"Ok, well, we're going to jump together so I can make sure you're safe" he said. I felt like no matter what, Jake would keep me safe.

I looked into his eyes and at that moment, everything disappeared. The trees, the cliff, the sound of the ocean. All I saw was Jake.

Without thinking, I leant forward, inhaling his scent as my lips met his. He didn't pull back, instead releasing my hand and wrapping one arm around my lower back and the other on the side of my neck.

I wasn't thinking about what I was doing, I was just letting my instincts take over. I was kissing Jacob Black. And Jacob was kissing me back. He was a fantastic kisser. In fact, I hadn't been kissed like this, ever. At first it was slow, out tongues dancing around the edges of our own mouths, testing the limits of each other's willingness to go on. Before long, we were overcome by the full force of our combined passion. Jake was warm and tender, like nothing I had experienced before. Despite the intense passion, there was tenderness in the way he gently caressed me.

My hands wound their way around Jake's body, up his strong arms and into his hair. My tongue entwined with Jakes in perfect synchronisation. While I knew I wanted this moment to go on forever and I desperately wanted to never break this connection, I knew that sooner or later it had to come to an end. Life was still moving outside of our perfect bubble of passion.

The sounds around us started coming back to my awareness and I felt the ground underneath my feet. I took this as a sign that this moment was coming to an end. Our mouths gradually slowed and our tongues stilled and retreated.

I kissed Jake softly, once more on his warm lips before taking a step back. I was steady on my feet, which came as a surprise to me. Jake, cautiously held on to my hand as though he was certain I would fall backwards and over the edge of the cliff.

"Bella… I.." he began. There were no words that I could think of that could make this moment any better. Only ones that could diminish the wonder that I was feeling.

"Jake, please, don't" I said. "Let's jump"

Jake looked at me, confusion settled on his perfect face. He looked almost sad.

I squeezed his hand in hopes that it would reassure him that this was all ok. I just wanted to absorb the moment. Not spoil it with words.

Jake seemed to shake off the intensity of the moment and turned to focus on the ocean below. He watched the waves carefully for a few moments before turning to me.

"We will have to do it quick, the tide is starting to turn" he said. I nodded.

"So on the count of three, we'll jump" he said.

Suddenly, my heart sped up and my palm started to sweat. Jake held my hand tighter as he began to count.

"One….." he turned to look at me.

"Two…." He tucked a strand of loose hair behind my ear and turned back to face the water below.

"Three!" he shouted as we both took a step forward and launched ourselves off the edge of the cliff.

I screamed as Jake and I dropped through the open air like meteors hurtling through space. It wasn't a scream of fear but of exhilaration.

As our bodies broke the surface of the water, Jake's hand slipped out of my grip. The water was icy, colder than I had anticipated. I felt a thrill as I plunged deeper into the water. Jake was nowhere to be seen in the dark cold depths but I knew he was somewhere nearby.

I kicked hard against the strong undercurrent and fought to reach the surface. It was harder than I expected and at first, I didn't know which way was up. I let out a bit of air so I could follow the bubbles to the surface and kicked in the direction they were headed. I soon reached the surface and took a deep breath. I looked around for a sign of Jake but couldn't see him anywhere.

I dove back under the water to see if I could see him but it was so dark I could barely see two feet in front of myself. I was kicking myself for not holding on to him tighter. As I reached the surface again, I looked around for Jake. I was beginning to panic, fearing that the ocean had taken him at the precise moment I realised how much I wanted him, when he finally popped up only a few yards from where I was now treading water.

I felt the relief wash over me when he started swimming towards me. He seemed fine.

"Are you ok?" I called.

"Yeah, the current tried to drag me down but I'm a pretty good swimmer" he said.

"I started to worry" I said as a wave washed over us without crashing.

Jake had now reached me and was treading water alongside me. I looked up to the cliff to see how far we had jumped.

"That was probably the craziest thing I've ever done" I said.

"So it's out of your system now?" he asked.

"Definitely" I answered.

We both started swimming towards the shore, which was an effort considering how exhausted we both were.

Just as my feet felt the sand beneath the water, I looked back at the cliff and thought I saw something flaming red among the trees. I continued towards the shore but kept my eye on the top of the cliff.

If I wasn't mistaken, I had seen that flaming red before. The thought stabbed at me like a knife through my stomach. Jake noticed something was wrong as we were now knee deep in water.

"What's up Bells? What are you looking at?" he asked.

I didn't have to answer, he saw it too. Victoria had just launched herself off the cliff and was falling to the ocean, much like we had done only minutes before.

"Jake…" I said, as she disappeared below the surface. I was now in full panic as I watched Sam, Embry Paul and Jared launch off the cliff in their human forms, after the red head.

My eyes frantically searched the water for a sign that she was there somewhere. I knew that she could stay under, indefinitely, which meant she could pop up anywhere.

Jake seemed as frantic as me, ripping off his shoes and unbuttoning his pants. I quickly turned so not to see more of Jake than I needed to right now and heard the woosh of his transformation into his wolf form.

The giant wolf now patrolled the edge of the water as four men began to emerge. As they got to waist deep water they all transformed as well.

I watched them with keen interest as they looked to each other, obviously communicating telepathically.

Just when I thought enough time had passed and Victoria had gone, I saw a flash of red below the surface near the shore. The black wolf, who I established was Sam, didn't miss it either and soon the wolves had their ears up, waiting for her to emerge.

Victoria didn't disappoint, as she leapt out of the water in full sprint towards me. Her teeth were bared and her eyes gleamed bright red.

She didn't make it far before the Jake-wolf leapt onto her back. She tried to dodge him but she was too late. His teeth tore at her shoulder, ripping a chunk off her marble body. At this, three of the other wolves that I guessed were Paul, Jared and Embry roared towards her and tore off a limb each.

I looked to Sam, the black wolf, who was watching on, his influence and superiority apparent. He looked to me and then to a pile of wood that was laying on the bench. I ran over to where Jake's pants sat and felt in his pockets where I found a lighter. I knew he carried one for such occasions and I hoped the water hadn't ruined it.

I raced towards the pile of wood and struck the lighter twice before it sparked. For some reason, there was the beginnings of a fire already built, so I struck the lighter again and lit the kindling at the bottom. Within a few minutes, there was a roaring fire and as I turned, I saw the remaining parts of Victoria's body being ripped apart by the wolves. I looked back to Sam and with a nod I signalled to him that the fire was ready. At once, the wolves stopped ripping the pieces apart and began dragging them towards the fire.

Jake phased back to his human form and with his back to me, put his clothes back on. He ran towards me and held me tight in his arms.

"Are you ok Bells?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm good Jake, it's you I'm worried about" I said, attempting to look him up and down, checking for signs of injury.

"I'm ok Bella, we're all ok. She got a scratch on me but it's already pretty much healed, see?" he said as he showed me a gash that looked weeks old on his thigh.

The remainder of the pieces of Victoria were now being tossed onto the fire out of the mouths of the wolves.

I stood next to Jake as he held his arm around me. It felt completely natural and watching the object of my nightmares burn before my eyes gave me a feeling of freedom and happiness that I could only associate with Jake.

The wolves watched on briefly before quickly retreating into the forest.

"They don't want to be seen" Jake said, answering my unasked question.

As the fire burnt down to ashes and the sun started to set, Jake and I turned to head back to the start of the track where we had left his car.

It wasn't far to walk, as most of the walking was done to get to the top. We got back to the car mostly in silence but holding hands the whole way.

Jake reached under the car, grabbed the key and walked to the passenger side of the car. He put the key in the lock, turned it and pulled the door open for me. I didn't balk at this act of chivalry, instead I thanked him and moved to get in. Before I sat in the car, I leant in and kissed him softly on his lips. This time there were no fireworks, no intense passion, just a sweet kiss that meant so much more than the one we shared at the top of the cliff.

I pulled back and smiled at Jake before hopping in the car. He walked around to the driver's side a bit slower than usual. Dazed perhaps? He got in, flashed me my favourite 'Jake smile', grabbed my hand and started the engine.

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 **More to come.**

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	2. Chapter 2

**AN: This chapter contains some descriptive scenes that some might find a bit awkward... Be warned.**

We headed for Emily's house, which had become the meeting point for all Pack business, in silence for most of the way. I couldn't think of any words to express how elated I was feeling right now. The thing that was threating my life and the lives of everyone I loved was gone. There were no more vampires in Forks. I now had the chance to live my life in peaceful freedom.

As we drove I thought about the life I now had the opportunity to live and wondered how Jake was going to fit into it. He was still my best friend, but now we had crossed the boundaries of friendship and were something more. Did I want to put a label on it? Was he assuming that I already had? I looked over to Jake who seemed to have eyes on the side of his head because he smiled and squeezed my hand as I did.

I knew that in just moments we would be surrounded by people and our chances of talking about what was happening between us would be over. I had to say something, but I had no idea what.

"So, a lot has happened today" I said, hoping it sounded casual.

"A lot of great things have happened today" he replied. Hmm, not much to go on. I wish I was better with words.

"I really think we should talk about some of it before we get back" I said, taking my hand from his, pretending to fix my hair.

Jake suddenly looked worried as he pulled the car over to the side of the road. This wasn't what I wanted.

"Ok…" he said. "If you want to take it all back, its ok" he continued.

"No, I…"

"Because I understand. It was an intense moment. Well, there were two moments really. But just so you know, I wouldn't take it back. Not in a million years…" he started to ramble. This was interesting. A smile came across my face as I watched him struggle.

"Jake, stop. I don't want to take any of it back" I said softly.

"You don't?" he asked.

"Of course not, Jake, I instigated it, it wasn't forced upon me. It was an amazing moment, why would I take it back?" I argued.

"You're right, if anything, it was forced upon _me_ " he said with a smile now playing across those lips that I found myself staring at.

"Well, I don't see you complaining" I said.

We both burst into a fit of laughter, the windows of the car fogging up. When things settled, I wound down the window and breathed in the fresh air.

"So where to from here?" he asked.

"I'm not entirely sure. Can we just take it as it comes?" I asked.

"Absolutely" he said as he started the engine. "But just so you know, I'm not letting you out of my sight" he said as he grabbed my hand again.

"I don't want you to" I said, hoping that it would give him some sense of reassurance.

With that, he smiled and drove the short distance to Emily's.

Jake pulled the car into the driveway and we both got out of the car. We started heading towards the house when Jake stopped.

"What are we going to tell people? They are going to see that something is different" he asked.

"We'll just tell them that its none of their business and we're taking things as they come. That's the truth, after all" I said. "I'm not putting a label on this" I said as I held up the hand that was encased in Jake's. He looked a bit disappointed, so I hastily added, "yet".

He smiled as we walked towards the veranda where Embry and Paul were sitting.

"Hey, took you two long enough to get here. What, did you stop off somewhere for a quickie along the way?" Embry joked. I was horrified.

"Very funny. You forget that I have the worlds clumsiest girl with me _and_ had to drive back here?" Jake said.

At that, Sam came out of the house, a serious look on his face.

"Quil phased today" he said. Jake gasped. He didn't want this for his friend. "I was with him when the red head started getting closer, so I had to leave him with Emily. He's inside and he's asking to speak to you".

I turned to Jake and squeezed his hand.

"I'll wait here, you go see him" I said as I let my grip on his hand loosen. He released me after seemingly thinking about it, then hurried inside.

I sat on the rickety chair on the veranda and looked out to the yard where Jared had been building a fire.

"You built a pretty good fire today, you sure you don't want to build tonight's bonfire?" Paul asked. All animosity towards me now appearing to be absent.

"That was a fluke, besides, it was already build, I just lit the thing" I said, brushing off the sort of compliment.

"Yeah, we build them all around the place in case we need a quick fire" he said with a smile on his face.

"Really? That was on the beach, did you think you'd need one out in the open?" I asked. He laughed.

"No, I was kidding. I have no idea where that fire came from" he said.

"Right…" I said. He was strange.

"So, you and Jake hey?" he asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about".

"Jake's mind was a mess when he phased but we all saw it" Damn.

"Well that's our business"

" _Well_ he's been through enough so you better not hurt him"

"I don't intend to".

At that, Emily came striding outside.

"Paul, you leave poor Bella alone. She been though a lot today… Hi Bella, how are you doing? Oh, those clothes fit you perfectly" she said.

"I'm actually great. Thanks for the clothes, I managed to fall asleep at Jakes yesterday…" I said. "How have you been?" I asked, trying my best at making small talk.

"You know... it's been a rough week but things are finally looking like they're going to settle down" she said. We both smiled as she shooed Paul and Embry away and sat down.

"I guess you're a wolf girl now" she said.

"I guess I always have been, deep down inside" I said. It was an odd revelation, but I knew it was true.

We sat in silence for a while before Jake came back outside, followed by Quil and Sam.

"Oh, hey Bella, nice seeing you again" Quil said. He looked terrible. Pale, almost green. His eyes were bulging and his hair was a mess. He looked like he'd run a hundred-mile marathon and had been up for a week since. The only positive difference I noticed in him was how much he had grown. He had shot up at least a foot and packed on enough muscle that someone would be fair in assuming he was on steroids.

"Hey Quil, how are you?" I asked, genuinely.

"You know, a bit rough but I'll be ok" he said.

"It's ok, she knows" Jake said. Quil blinked.

"Well, in that case, I'm lousy. Turning into a giant wolf really takes it out of you. Then trying to turn back… I thought I'd lost my mind" he said. Jake and Sam just nodded, a sign that they understood.

"I can imagine. Well, I know it gets easier, just ask these guys" I nudged Jake with my shoulder. "You'll be prancing around the forest in no time" I said, trying to keep it light hearted.

"Thanks Bella" he said. "Now time for me to go home and sleep" he added.

"See ya, Quil" I called as he walked towards Sam's waiting car. He just waved and gave a tired smile.

I watched as he and Sam got into the car. I thought about how Jacob must have felt, the first time he phased. I couldn't imagine him looking and feeling the way that Quil was now. It made me sad to think that I wasn't there for him in the way that I should have been. If only I hadn't been so obsessed with losing Edward. I might have seen what was right in front of me. I might have seen Jake with the eyes that I was seeing him with now.

"Hey Bella, did you want to go to the store and get some supplies for the party?" Emily asked, bringing me out of my thoughts. I seemed to get stuck in these patterns of thought a lot lately.

"Oh, there's a party?" I asked.

"Oh yeah, it's going to be the best one yet. The elders are coming and they'll be sharing stories, then we might get a bit rowdy after" she said in an excited tone. "The guys haven't had a chance to unwind in a long time" she added.

"Absolutely… Jake, you want to come?" I said.

"Does a bear shit in the woods?" he said.

"I don't know, does it? You're out there enough" I said with a laugh. Jake just laughed in response as we headed for his car.

"I think I need to go home and take a shower first" I said.

"Right, we were in the ocean" he said. "I could do with one myself" he added.

We got in the car and headed to his house.

"So, do you want to take a shower at your place, while I head home and get cleaned up?" I asked. Thinking about the long drive home. I wanted to get out of Emily's clothes and into some of my own. I didn't realise it till now, but I was still wet and smelt like the ocean.

"Bella, are you forgetting my promise not to let you out of my sight?" Jake said.

"Hmm, so I am. I guess I was being time conscious" I said.

"How about I take a quick shower at my place, give you a dry jacket to wear and we'll go to yours?" he said.

"Sure" I said, as though it was the obvious choice all along.

After a short stop at Jake's, where he showered in record time, Jake drove in his car to my place. It took half the time that it would have taken if I had taken my truck. I guess it really was slow.

We made small talk on the way back to my place. Spoke about school and what Jake and the guys would do now that there were no vampires to chase after. It was like nothing had happened and we were friends again. There was every chance that we could forget what happened between us and return to normal. But that isn't what I wanted. My heart raced when Jake smiled, my skin tingled when he touched me, my stomach went into a spin when I remembered the kiss we had at the top of the cliff.

I remembered wishing that Jake was my brother, that I just had some kind of claim on him. It didn't feel brotherly anymore. Not now. There was something more. I could declare my claim on him now, if that is what I wanted. Of course I would have to tell him everything, it was the only way to be fair to him. But how could I tell him about the voices? I would have to admit that I was crazy. I would have to explain it so that he would know I wasn't settling. He was simply too good for me. He deserved someone who wasn't so broken. But, was I broken? I hadn't felt the gaping hole in my chest in what felt like such a long time. Perhaps these new feelings I was having had mended that hole somewhat. I knew that he needed to know everything before he could make a decision about whether or not he wanted to be with me, and all that that entailed.

I knew that if this was to move forward, I would have to commit to this. Commit as much as I could with what I had left to give. All the broken pieces. Could I? Could I really commit 100 percent of myself to Jacob in the way that he needed me to?

Jake pulled into my house just as I had come to a decision about where to from here. I knew I said that we would take it as it came, but I knew now more than ever that it wasn't that simple.

"Jake, I really need to tell you how I'm feeling" I said as I opened the passenger door, ready to head inside.

Before I could make a move, Jake reached past me and pulled the door shut, starting the engine again.

"Vampire!" he said in a hurried whisper.

I was stunned.

"Victoria is dead, who could it be…?" I asked, more to myself. As the car spun around and the wheels screeched, I noticed a black car that was parked several yards down the street. In my daze, I hadn't seen it on the way in. The car looked familiar and I gasped as soon as I realised where I had seen it before.

"Jake, stop, that's Carlisle's car!" I almost yelled.

Jake didn't stop, instead he started off down the street in a hurry.

"Jake! Stop! Turn around!" I yelled to him, begging him to take me back.

He stopped that car, his body trembling. I knew this was getting dangerous. If he phased in this tiny car there would be serious consequences.

"Please Jake, let me see who it is" I said, more quietly this time. I reached out and touched the side of his face in an attempt to calm him. I stroked his cheek and he closed his eyes as I did. It was working.

"Bella, please…" he said, his jaw clenched. "I can't protect you here, this isn't our territory" he said.

"If it is a Cullen, I don't need protecting. Please Jake, let's just go see who it is. If its unsafe you can do whatever you need to... to hell with territory" I said.

Jake slowly drove back up the street and pulled into the driveway. As soon as he stopped, I jumped out and ran for the front door.

 _Its Carlisle_ I told myself. _Don't expect anything more, maybe Esme…_

"Bella!" Jake called, as I got to the door. "Bella, please, there is a vampire in your house".

I glanced at him, terrified that this might be an end to the intense day we've had. I didn't want it to be, but I needed to know who it was and why they had come.

"It's ok" I said quietly as Jake reached the bottom of the steps below me.

He stood there, stunned and sad, still trying to shake off the tremors that were making him almost convulse.

I grabbed the door knob and it twisted easily under my hand. The door fell open and it was semi-dark inside. I stepped inside and fumbled for the light switch. I hadn't realised how dark it had gotten, yet it wasn't yet night.

I finally found the switch and flicked on the light glancing madly up the hall, searching for someone, something that had been waiting for me.

As I entered the living room, it was then that I saw her. Unnaturally white, with her large black eyes, fixed on my face, she stood waiting for me.

My knees trembled and almost buckled and I steadied myself before launching at her. If I hadn't felt the hard _smack_ of impact as I crashed into her, I could have sworn I was dreaming. I winced as the pain of the contact came over me. It felt as though I had run head on into a refrigerator

"Alice!" I cried out.

"Bella?" she said, as though my being here was questionable for her. "Bella, would you like to tell me how you're alive?". I stopped breathing. The words crashed over me harder than the waves had in the ocean earlier today.

"What? What do you mean?"

"I saw you jump off a cliff, Bella" she said.

"Oh, that. It was recreational, you know, fun" I said. When I heard myself talk, it sounded ridiculous but I was just so stunned that she was standing here in my living room. Words eluded me.

"Well, I saw you go in and then I saw Victoria jump in after you" she said.

"Yeah, well, she's been taken care of" said a voice from the hall. I turned and looked around to see Jake standing in the doorway. His nose wrinkled in disapproval.

In response, Alice's face contorted into an angry grimace.

"What? What do you mean?" she asked.

"My pack, we destroyed her, burnt the body. The red head is gone". Jake said, matter of factly.

"Your pack? _Werewolves?!_ Bella, werewolves are not good company to keep" She exclaimed. Her angry outburst rang in my ears like bells.

"It's ok, they're ok" I said. I couldn't think of what else to say.

"We've been cleaning up the mess you guys left when you took off" Jake said suddenly, glancing briefly towards me. I knew he meant it in more ways than one.

"Bella, you need to start at the beginning I think" she said.

"There really isn't much to say Alice" I said.

"The wolves saved me, killed Laurent, killed Victoria… If they hadn't been around I wouldn't be alive" I said.

"Oh" was all she could say. I came to a sudden realisation that Jake was right. The wolves _had_ cleaned up the mess that the Cullens had left behind. I was standing there trying my hardest to appease her, I had waited for her to come or to make contact for 6 months but no that she as here, I wanted nothing more than for her to just leave.

"Look, Alice, I would love to catch up, but there's a Quileute bonfire happening tonight and I said I would bring the food", I said, careful not to offend her. I watched as her face turned to shock.

"I…. Right, I understand" she said.

"I'm sorry Alice. Really, I am. I waited for so long to hear from you, any of you, even Rosalie, but I need to move on with my life. I have wallowed in my grief for months. You have no idea how hard it has been for me. Edward didn't want me, he threw me aside like some cheap garbage and now, because of Jake, I'm finally strong enough to wake up every day, breathe every day, experience life and maybe even be happy" I said. I felt tears prick the corners of my eyes but I knew I had to be strong.

"I see" is all that Alice said.

"Look, I'd love for you to visit some time. We can sit down and catch up properly" I offered.

"Sure Bella, I'd love that" she said as she hugged me then headed for the front door. She walked straight past Jake without acknowledging him whatsoever and out the door without a glance back.

I followed her to the door and watched as she walked to the black car, got in and sped away. I knew that I would never see her again and part of me was ok with that. I was prepared to start a new life. A life with Jake. I was a wolf girl now and wolf girls can't have vampires as friends.

I turned to look at Jake who was standing in the hall, leaning against the frame of the doorway. I smiled at him, hoping he would return the gesture. As he did, I walked towards him and encased him in a hug. His touch was in stark contrast to Alice's cold hard body. Jake was warm and soft. Just what I needed.

"I still need to have a shower" I said as I held Jake close to me. I didn't want to let him go. I wanted him to know that everything was going to be alright, that _we_ would be alright. When he kissed the top of my head, I knew it would be. I let him go and went upstairs to get cleaned up.

Once I was showered and dressed into some jeans and a comfy shirt, I grabbed a jacket and threw a change of clothes into a backpack and headed downstairs. As I was coming down, I heard some voices coming from the kitchen. Charlie must have arrived while I was showering.

I wandered into the kitchen and Jake looked up from the table where he was sitting. When our eyes met, I felt instantly giddy, like a school girl with butterflies in my stomach. I shook my head as I heard Charlie speak.

"What?" I asked, feeling silly.

"I said, hey Bells" he said with a slight laugh and a knowing glance between Jake and me.

"Oh, sorry, hey dad, how was work?" I said as I sat down at the table with them.

"It was pretty good, there were reports of kids lighting fires down the beach at La Push but by the time I got there to check it out, it was out" he said. I looked up to Jake but his face was as passive as ever.

"Sorry to leave you like this dad, but Emily is having a party and we're in charge of collecting some supplies" I said as I got up again.

"Ok, Bells. Are you going to be staying out again tonight?" Charlie asked looking to the bag I had left on the kitchen floor.

"Oh, right. Sorry about last night, I guess I should have called" I said sheepishly.

"It's ok, Billy called and told me you fell asleep watching a movie. I told him to leave you there" he said.

"So, you don't mind me staying out?" I asked.

"Bella, you're almost an adult. I'm not going to stop you living your life. Especially considering you were here most of the summer. Go, have fun. Shoo. Be a teenager" he said, shooing me with his hands.

"Thanks dad. I'll probably stay out again tonight, just to make it easier" I said as I kissed him on the head.

"Alright then" he said. "But Bella…" he called as I walked out of the kitchen. "Be safe, if you know what I mean" he continued.

"uhhh dad!" I said as I realised the intent in his words. I couldn't believe he thought me and Jake were having sex. Of course I had thought about it, but up until 24 hours ago, Jake and I were purely just friends.

At that, Jake and I headed out and into the car.

"Sorry you had to hear that" I said as he started the engine and pulled out onto the street.

"It's ok, at least he's letting you do what you want. Billy said if you stay over I have to keep the door open at all times" Jake said. I giggled at this, as Jake drove his car towards the store.

The trip was silent, as usual, except for the radio that played some new songs I hadn't heard before.

Jake pulled into the carpark at the store and we both hopped out and headed into the store. It was fairly empty except for the odd shopper.

"So…" Jake said as we wandered around the store. "Earlier, when we pulled up at your place, you said you needed to tell me something" he said.

"How I was feeling" I said. Hoping that this was going to be easier than I thought it was currently.

"Right" he said. The awkwardness between us was so thick you could carve it with a knife. I stopped half way down the aisle where the potato chips were and turned to him. I knew that honesty was the best policy here and just had to say how I felt.

"You mean more to me than anyone else, Jake. Today has been amazing. Intense, but amazing. I don't want to take back the moments we've had, nor do I want them to stop. I want more Jake. I want to be with you… officially" I said, hoping I made some sense.

Jakes face lit up like a Christmas tree. His smile was huge as he contemplated what I said.

"Bella, you don't know how much I've wanted to hear that from you" he said as he wrapped his huge warm arms around me. I held on as he lifted me off the floor and twirled me around. When he stood me back down, my head spun and I had to steady myself.

"Too much?" he asked. I laughed.

"No, not too much" I said. "But you need to know one thing first…" I continued, biting my lip. This was going to be the hardest part yet.

"What is it?" he asked, still smiling.

"When I was doing those… reckless… things, I was hearing… _his_ voice" I said hesitantly. It sounded crazy s I was saying it but I had to get it out. He had to know.

"Like, hallucinating?" Jake asked, his smile fading.

"I guess you could call it that. I would do something stupid and then I'd hear his voice, asking me to stop, warning me, telling me to be safe" I said, looking down at the floor. "Do you think I'm crazy?" I asked.

"Bella, _things_ like him have a way of messing with…" he began to whisper "… human's minds" he said.

"So you don't want to ship me off to a loony farm and run while you've got the chance?" I asked. "I lied to you!" I said.

"Bella, I knew you weren't in a good space when you brought those bikes over. But I also knew you were hurting and needed a friend" he said. "I'm not mad at you and I'm not going anywhere" he continued.

I reached up on tip toes and kissed him once, gently. It expressed everything that I was feeling and more.

We continued shopping in record speed. Time had ticked by and the party was probably about to begin.

As Jake packed the shopping into the back of his car, I took the shopping cart back and noticed Mike loitering around the entrance. I guess we must have walked straight past him.

"Hey Mike" I said.

"Oh, hey Bella, you're looking happy today" he said. I frowned, wondering how he might have noticed that.

"Oh, really?" I asked.

"Yeah, it looks good on you" he said. "What are you up to?" he continued.

"Oh, nothing much, just getting some supplies for a quiet night" I said, hoping that he wouldn't attempt to invite himself if I said it was a party.

"Oh, that's a lot for just a few people" he said. Man, this guy was nosey.

"Yeah, well there's gonna be a few of the guys, some of the girls, you know how it is"

"Oh, a party?"

"No, not really, more like a family get together with Jake's extended family" I said as I gestured to where Jake was standing next to his car. At that, Jake gave a wave to Mike, who now retreated back.

"Ahh, I see. Well, have fun then" he said as he hurried away. I laughed, thinking about how many pathetic attempts he has had to win my affections. None of which had ever been remotely successful.

I headed back over to Jake who was now laughing.

"What?" I said.

"He's more of a marshmallow now than he was before" he said as we both got in the car.

"Jake, he's harmless" I said.

"He just thinks he stands a chance. It's hilarious" he said.

"Yeah well, now I'm all yours" I said.

"Hmm, I do like the sound of that" Jake said, as he leant over and pulled my face gently towards him. I turned my body so that it was at a better angle and brought my lip to his.

Jake's mouth was warm, the caress of his lips softer than I remembered. He tasted cautiously with his tongue, and I opened my mouth with a low moan. This seemed to drive Jake wild, because at that moment, he moved closer to me, running his hands up my back and into my hair. I deepened the kiss, finding his tongue with mine and let the passion take over us there in the front of his car. When we were both out of breath, our mouths slowed and our tongues stilled. Jake kissed me once more before he pulled away and seated himself back on his side of the car.

I put on my seatbelt as he started the car and carefully drove out of the carpark. I was now in so deep that there was no way out. And I was glad. The butterflies that were swimming around in my stomach were doing flips now, driving my desire for more.

We reached Emily's house and Jake grabbed the bags of shopping from the back of the car. I offered to help, but he wouldn't hear of it. We took the groceries inside and I helped Emily prepare the food as Jake went out with the guys. I knew that he needed time with the pack to debrief about what had happened earlier in the day so I was happy to stay inside and help Emily.

"So, Bella, how is everything?" she asked.

"Everything is great. Fantastic actually" I said. I couldn't contain my smile and I knew that it had alerted Emily to the fact that something had changed.

"I'm glad to hear it" she said as she put some muffins into the oven.

We continued creating masterpieces with food until night fell and when everyone turned up, we started taking the food out to the long table that had been set up.

Everyone cheered and clapped as we set the plates down, one after the other. I guess they really loved their food.

There were more people there than I thought there would have been, but by the time we were seated and eating, Jake had introduced me to everyone. I sat next to Jake at the table, nibbling on the amazing food that Emily and I had created. I was a little impressed at my own culinary skills.

"This food is great Bells, I had no idea you were this good" Jake said.

"You'd be surprised what I can throw together" I said with a smile as I stabbed a piece of chicken with my fork.

As we ate, I was elated at how natural this whole setting felt. The conversations flowed so freely that I felt like I had known these people my whole life. When we were finished, we sat and continued talking with everyone who was there. I had my back to Jake and was in conversation with Emily when I felt Jakes hand on my leg. I brushed it off in my mind, until he began massaging up and down my upper thigh. I attempted to maintain my conversation with Jake, but I could feel my face getting flushed and had to excuse myself to get a drink. I turned to Jake who only offered me his cheesy smile. He was playing a dangerous game.

I got up and walked into the house to grab myself a drink. I reached into the fridge and got a soda and as I turned, Jake was there.

"You!" I said laughing.

"What? I'm innocent" he said.

"Innocent indeed" I said as I backed him into the wall.

Suddenly, we were kissing like crazy. Like our lives depended on it. His tongue slipped inside my mouth, gentle but demanding, and it was nothing like I had ever experienced. I now understood why people describe kissing as melting because every inch of my body felt like it was dissolving into his.

My fingers gripped his hair, pulling myself closer to him. I have never wanted anyone like this before. Ever. His mouth tasted like honey and I wanted to taste him, drink him, breath him in as though he were oxygen. His hands were everywhere as he spun me around and leant me against the wall. He was now in full control. He lifted me so that I could wrap my legs around him. This might ordinarily have been a step too far but I was so overcome with lustful passion that I let my body decide what it wanted, and right now, it wanted Jacob. We were only seconds from ripping the clothes off of each other when we were brought to a sudden halt by someone clearing their throat.

"Ahem… sorry guys, but I need to get to the fridge" Sam said with a bit of a chuckle.

It brought me out of the moment like a bucket of cold water. I let my legs down and straightened my clothes that had somehow been ravaged by Jakes wandering hands.

"Sorry Sam" I said sheepishly. He just chuckled some more. "I guess we should get back out to the guests" I said to Jake.

Jake gave a slight disappointed look before taking my hand and leading me out the door. By the time we got out there, Jared and Paul had started clearing the table. No doubt under Sam's orders. The fire had now been lit and people had started gathering around it. Jake and I chose a comfortable spot and sat down. Jake had his arm around me and I snuggled into him like he was a warm blanket.

We sat there for the next several hours listening to stories of the elders. I was so intrigued by their histories and legends that I found myself completely captivated.

When the night was over and everyone headed home, Jake and I were the last ones to leave. I hugged Emily and thanked her for her hospitality as Jake shook Sam's hand.

"Bella, you're part of the family now. You're welcome here anytime" she said.

"Yeah, just as long as I can get to the kitchen next time" Sam added. Emily looked at him questioningly and he just laughed. I hadn't seen Sam this carefree before. It was nice to see.

We took the short drive to Jakes house through the dark and made our way inside when we got there.

It felt kind of awkward once we were inside. I loved sleeping next to Jake last night but it happened by accident. I wasn't sure how to go about intentionally going to bed, lying next to Jake.

"Do you want to watch a movie or something?" he asked.

"Sure" I said.

He began walking up the hall into his bedroom and stopped when he realised I wasn't following.

"I have a TV in my room" he said.

"Yeah I know" I said. "I just…" I began. I wasn't sure how to have the sex talk with Jacob. We had all but done it in Emily's kitchen, but now it seemed like we had to get it out in the open. I wasn't ready for that just yet.

"… I think we need to get something out in the open" I said.

"I thought we had?" Jake said. He was so naive.

"Jake, we've moved pretty fast through this _relationship_ " I began. "I just don't want to ruin it by going too fast, you know what I mean?" I said. I hoped he knew what I meant.

"Bella, I'm not going to say that that is the furthest thing from my mind, especially after what happened in Emily's kitchen, but I promise you, we won't do anything that we're not ready for until you explicitly say that you are ready for it" he said. _Such a gentleman_ , I thought.

With that, I followed him up the hall and into his room.

Once we chose a movie, I went into the bathroom and got changed into some pyjamas. When I got back to Jakes room, he was lying on top of the blanket, just in his boxers.

"Jake, I'm in sweats and you're wearing boxers?" I said.

"I'm 108 degrees over here, usually I sleep naked" he said. I shrugged and climbed over him to the other side of the bed, only briefly letting my mind ponder the idea of a naked Jake. As the movie started playing, I found a comfortable spot under Jakes arm against his chest. It was hard to pay attention to the movie when I could hear the beating of Jakes heart. I knew it was beating for me and that made me happy.

I wasn't sure how long I managed to stay awake but I hadn't watched much of the movie before I found myself dreaming of the forest again. This time, I dreamt I was a wolf, gracefully running through the forest at high speed. Jake was there and we played like carefree animals of the wild.

 **AN: The next chapter may or may not include some smutty scenes. Please let me know your preference in relation to this.. Does it enhance the story? Or does it just add unnecessary padding? Were the kissing scenes in this chapter alright? Its my first attempt at such descriptive writing and it feels a tad awkward writing it.**

 **Please review, let me know what you think so far. Next chapter is in the works and it is going to be REALLY intense.**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: This chapter may contain triggers for those who have had experiences of sexual violence... If you feel uncomfortable or upset after reading this, please speak to someone you trust about your feelings #itsnotweaktospeak**

When I woke, the sun was high in the sky and Jake was nowhere to be seen. I laid there for a few minutes wondering where he could be. After straining to hear a single sound and failing, I sat up and straightened my hair with my hands. I looked around the room and saw a note pinned on the back of the door. I got up and read the note twice.

 _Bella, you looked so peaceful so I left you sleeping.  
I had to run some errands for Billy.  
I'll try not to be too late. Love Jake_.

I looked to Jakes bedside table and saw a pen so I quickly scribbled a note back.

 _I'm going to head home.  
I will see you soon I hope.  
Text me._

I hesitated before writing the next bit because I wasn't sure if I was there yet, but quickly decided against over thinking things.

 _Love Bella_

I sat the note on Jakes bed that I had carefully made and gathered my things. I knew I had to head home and take care of a few things. I hadn't been there for any length of time for 3 days and I had work tomorrow.

I went to the bathroom then headed out the door to where my truck stood. I got in and brought the engine to life. It hesitated a bit but soon was purring like its usual self. The trip home didn't take long, mostly because I daydreamed the whole way.

I arrived home to an empty house, which wasn't unexpected. It was Friday and Charlie was at work. When I got inside, I saw that Charlie hadn't exactly been the neat freak I had come to know and love. There was a lot to clean and get done so I got stuck into it straight away.

It was 2pm when I finally considered the house clean and sat down on the sofa with a sandwich. I uncharacteristically turned the TV on and flicked through the channels in search of something interesting. I found a documentary on rainforest plants so I settled in for an afternoon of education.

Before long, there was a knock at the door. I got up and discarded my plate in the kitchen on the roundabout way to the front door. When I opened it, Jacob was standing there, wearing denim cut offs and a black t-shirt. Damn this guy was too attractive for words.

I greeted him with a brief kiss before I dragged him inside by his shirt and shut the door.

"Hey there" I said.

"Hey there yourself" he replied.

"What did you get up to today?" I asked.

"Billy had to do some stuff and it took forever" he said as he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me towards him. He held me against him for a few moments before leaning back, putting his hands either side of my face and planting a soft kiss on my lips. It was nothing like last night's kiss in Emily's kitchen, but it was full of sweetness and love.

When he released me, I was a bit unsteady on my feet and he held me still for a second until I could stand on my own.

"What have you been doing today?" he asked.

"Cleaning… The place was a mess. I just finished and sat down actually" I said as I wandered back through to the living room. The documentary was still playing so I sat myself down on the lounge, pulling Jake by the hand to sit next to me.

We sat watching tv for most of the afternoon, chatting and laughing about random things.

Before long, the sun had set and it was dark outside and in. I turned the lights on in the house as I went about making dinner. I made sure to make extra after inviting Jake to stay.

I made a simple spaghetti that would ordinarily feed ten, but after I served myself and put some aside for Charlie and Billy, Jake took care of the rest.

After we ate, we watched a movie on the sofa with a blanket over us. The blanket was not entirely necessary but it made it more comfy.

The movie finished at 11pm just as Charlie arrived home. I wondered what he would think of Jake being here.

"Hey Bells, Jake" he said as he walked into the living room.

Hey dad" I said.

"Charlie" Jake said.

"Shouldn't you be getting home Jake? It's pretty late" Charlie said. It was obvious that he wouldn't be ok with Jake staying over.

"Yeah absolutely. I was just about to leave anyway" he said.

We all stood in silence for a few moments before Charlie spoke.

"Well, I think I'll go up and have a shower" he said, as he headed for the stairs, getting the hint.

I followed Jake as he headed for the door. I didn't want to sleep alone tonight but I knew there was no way Charlie would allow Jake to stay. As Jake stood in the doorway, I leant my head into his chest. He wrapped me in one of his custom Jake bear hugs and I reciprocated.

"I don't want you to leave" I said.

"I don't want to go, but Charlie will have a fit if I don't" he said, resting his chin on the top of my head.

"yeah, I know" I said.

We stood like that for a few moments before Jake pulled away. I stared up into his brown eyes and felt immensely grateful for the feelings that had grown to make me love Jake in this way. At that thought, I gasped. _Love_ Jake? I loved Jake. I did. I really did.

"I'm crazy about you Bella" he said.

"I love you Jake" I said back. His return smile was the biggest I had seen on his face since I'd know him.

"I love you too" he said, "So, so much" and he leant down and kissed me a sweet kiss, displaying the words we just exchanged and more.

We broke apart and he kissed my forehead before he turned and walked down the steps towards his car. I watched as he hopped in and drove away, desperate that he might get the urge to sneak in my window at some point.

I shut and locked the door before I put Charlie's dinner in the microwave and headed up the stairs to my bedroom. I was now facing another great hurdle and that was sleeping alone. I had had Jake to chase the nightmares away for the last two nights and desperately hoped that it was enough to last tonight.

I showered, changed into sweats and got into bed with one of the books that I borrowed from the library on the Reservation. Before I went to sleep I grabbed my mobile phone from my bedside table and sent a text to Jake.

 _Goodnight Jake. Sleeping won't be the same without u. Bella xx_

I hit send and waited for his reply. My eyes were heavy but I stayed awake until he replied.

 _Sweet dreams beautiful Bella. I wish I could be there. Jake_

I put my phone back on the bedside table, turned off the lamp and closed my eyes. It felt like only minutes until I was back in the forest. Although tonight there was an eerie sense of dread surrounding me. Alice was there and her eyes were gleaming red. Her mouth and chin were covered in blood and she held something black and hairy in her hand.

 _"Bella, I've been waiting for you, I got you something"_ she said.

 _"Alice, what's going on?" I asked._

 _"Don't be silly Bella, it's time for you to feed"_ she said as she turned the black mass of hair around. I cried out when I saw that it was a severed head. I looked a little closer and saw that it wasn't just any severed head, it was Jake's! I screamed and screamed but couldn't move to run. Sunlight trickled through the tree canopy above and my eyes burned from the intensity. I noticed something gleaming around me and looked down at my hands to see that they were sparkling. Sparkling in the way that a vampire sparkled in sunlight. Noticing this, I only screamed louder until I was shaken awake by Charlie.

"Bella, Bella, wake up, its ok" he was saying. I sat upright trembling all over, tears streaming down my face. I flung my arms around Charlie to ground myself and he patted me awkwardly on the back.

"I thought the dreams would be gone on account of… recent developments" he said.

"They were gone" I said, sobbing. "I've slept really well the last two nights, I thought it was all over" I said through tears.

We sat in silence for a few minutes and I noticed Charlie's eyes start to close. I took some deep breaths and told him to go to bed.

"Are you sure you're ok?" he asked.

"I'm ok, thanks dad. Just go to bed" I said. He got up and left the room, closing my door behind him. I sat up, too afraid to go back to sleep. I looked at the clock. I had been asleep for three hours, but it felt I hadn't slept at all.

I laid back down and tried to sleep but the rest of my dreams were plagued by mythical creatures and objects of my nightmares. I managed not to scream out but all in all I didn't get much quality sleep.

When the sun rose a few hours later, I dragged myself out of bed and threw on some sweatpants. I thought it might be a good idea to attempt to go for a run. What was that anecdote about endorphins? They're supposed to make you happy. I was definitely in need of something to perk me up. I pulled on my running shoes and headed out the front door. The air was cool and the sun was peeking through the trees. It was still quite early. As I ran, my mind drifted to the dreams I had last night. My nightmares were beginning to creep into my mind in my waking hours and as hard as I tried, I could not shake the images that were now haunting me. With all attempts at running dismissed, I turned and headed home. I had work in a little while and need to get ready. When I got home, Charlie was up, drinking coffee at the kitchen table.

"Hey Bells, you been… exercising?" he asked, eyeing me up and down with a confused look on his face.

"Yeah, it's supposed to help" I said.

"Did it?" he asked.

"Not at all" I said with a half-hearted smile.

"So, you and Jake…" he began.

"Me and Jake" I said, nodding my head.

"How serious is it Bells?" he asked.

"Oh, I don't know dad. Its early days. I mean, we haven't even been official for two days" I said, my honesty astounding me.

"Well, I like Jacob" he said.

"I'm feeling like there is more that you want to say here dad" I said. I sensed he was dancing around what he really wanted to say.

"I just don't know where to go from here Bells. You're 18 now and probably old enough to make your own decisions, but hell… you're still my little girl, and I don't want to… condone… certain behaviour… under my roof" he said, stammering.

"Charlie…" I began.

"But I've spoken to Billy and he says Jake is very respectful. Mature for his age." He said. "And the two of you slept in Jakes room… with the door open" he continued.

"Honestly, dad, the first time it happened was purely by accident. I fell asleep waiting for him to get back from… running an errand, and he sat by me reading and then he fell asleep" I said honestly.

"The second night we both fell asleep watching a movie in his room… Both nights I slept like a log, all night. No nightmares, no screaming. I actually had _nice_ dreams" I said.

"I see" was all Charlie could say.

"Jake's good for me" I said.

"Suppose I let him stay… What then?" he asked.

"Well, I guess it's up to Jacob and Billy" I said, shrugging. I couldn't believe my dad was discussing the possibility of letting my _boyfriend_ stay. I smiled inwardly at the thought of Jake as my boyfriend. It was an abstract idea, still.

"Well, I just want to be kept informed about who is in my house" he said.

"So, you're saying you're ok with Jake staying over… In my room?" I asked, eyebrows raised.

"I'm saying that I want what's best for you Bella and Jacob is good for you… My _issues_ can wait" he said. "Now, don't you have work to go to?" he asked, putting an end to this very strange discussion.

I headed upstairs and grabbed my phone off the bedside table. I typed a text to Jake,

 _Good morning Jake, hope you slept well. Can't say I did. Just had the strangest conversation with Charlie. Call me when you wake up. Love Bella._

I pressed send and headed for the bathroom. I quickly undressed and showered, trying to wash the nightmares away.

I dressed slowly into my work shirt and jeans and put my hair up into a messy bun before heading back downstairs to grab some breakfast.

Charlie was nowhere to be seen as I made myself some toast and sat down to eat it, along with a cup of tea. When I finished, I glanced up at the clock and saw that I had just enough time to get to work. I picked up my bag and checked my phone as I shoved my shoes on. No reply from Jake yet.

I opened the front door and turned and shut it behind me. When I turned back around, I was surprised to see a familiar figure standing in front of me. Jacob was there.

"Jake! What are you doing here?"

"You sounded like you needed something" he said as he reached his arms around me and enveloped me in one of his warm hugs.

"Ohhh I missed this" I said.

"It's only been one night"

"It was a long night"

Jake pulled back and looked me in the face before kissing me softly on the lips. It sent a shiver through my whole body and any negative feelings that were left over from my nightmares had vanished. When he pulled away, my eyes remained closed. I thought that if I kept my eyes closed, I could hold onto this moment for a little longer.

"Is everything ok?" he asked.

"I had a bad dream… well, a series of bad dreams actually"

"Do you want to tell me about them?"

"It's ok now, you're here" I said as I opened my eyes.

I started walking towards my truck until Jake pulled me towards his car by the hand.

"I'm driving you to work" he said with a smile.

"Surely you have something better to do?" I said.

"Nothing is better than being around you" he said.

We hopped into Jakes car and he headed towards the centre of town.

"You'll never guess what Charlie and I spoke about this morning" I said, playfully.

"Hmm.." he said as he took some time to come up with a response. "How awesome I am?" he said with a slight chuckle.

"Well, not too far off… He has actually given me permission to have you over for a _sleep over_ " I said.

Jake looked slightly confused for a moment before smiling.

"So, what does that mean?" he asked.

"Well, I thought it meant you can stay at my place whenever you wanted… If that's what you want" I said, feeling a bit silly for assuming that he would just want to stay with me. "Never mind, it's silly… Forget I said anything" I said as I wrapped my arms around myself.

Jake reached over, grabbed my hand and kissed the back of it with his soft warm lips. Again, my body tingled all over. I could just about jump him here in the car I thought.

"Bella, I will stay with you as often as you want me to" he said.

"And I will stay with you the rest of the time" I said.

I wasn't sure what had come over me. I had never been this needy girlfriend who asked her very new boyfriend to sleep in her bed with her. Was I rushing things? Jake and I had pretty much been in a relationship for months anyway, so it wasn't exactly that fast. Not only that, Jake chased away the nightmares. As well as being an amazing friend, a great boyfriend, a fantastic kisser and a genuinely thoughtful guy, Jake made everything better.

Jake pulled into the carpark of the Newtons store and, now more than ever, I didn't want to get out. I turned to Jake, desperate for him to take me away from here.

"We're here" he said with a laugh.

"I know" I said, "But I don't want to get out".

Jake hopped out of his side and walked around to my side and opened the door. I got out slowly, helped by Jake. If I didn't know any better I'd swear he _wanted_ me to go to work.

I looked up into his sweet kind eyes, put my hands either side of his face and pulled his face to mine. Our lips met in soft bursts of kisses that built with intensity until our tongues were once again exploring one another's sweet mouth.

As our passion built, the world around us melted away and we were the only two people in the universe. Eventually though, as always, our surroundings started swimming back into my consciousness and we began to slow, until we were motionless. We stood for a few seconds, forehead to forehead, absorbing the thrill of each other. Jake held me by my hips and I ran my hands up his chest, feeling the smooth ridges beneath his shirt.

I eventually opened my eyes to see Jake smiling, looking back at me.

"I'll pick you up… What time do you finish?" he asked.

"Three" I said.

"I'll be here at two thirty" he said with a wink.

"I better go" I said as I looked to the front of the store and saw Mike standing there gawking at us.

"Bye Bells"

"See ya Jake".

I walked towards the doors of the store where Mike was frantically trying to look busy by putting the awning up.

"Do you want some help?" I asked.

"No" he said abruptly. I ignored his bad mood, remembering that he wasn't always a morning person and went about checking the store for anything that needed doing.

The morning went fast, with customers coming and going often. Mike seemed to be in a bad mood all day so I didn't bother trying to make small talk. I spoke to him about stock and about missing money in the till from last month that mysteriously turned up, but avoided all talk about our personal lives.

When I looked at the clock, I saw that it was 2:15. It had been slow since lunch time and Mike said that he was going to close early. As I went out the back to grab my bag, he went to the front to put the 'closed' sign up.

I checked my phone and saw that I hadn't had a text or a missed call all day. I threw my phone back into the eternal abyss that was my bag and turned to leave the staff room, almost smacking into Mike.

"Sorry" I said as I went to go around him.

"It's ok Bella" he said with a tone that I couldn't quite figure out.

"Well, I guess I'll get going then" I said.

"Didn't you get a lift? What time are you getting picked up?" he asked. I wondered where he was going with this.

"Oh, soon. Jake said he was going to be here around two thirty" I said.

"Well, we have time for a bit of a chat then, don't we?" he asked.

"Yeah, I suppose we do" I said, as I noticed Mike inch a little closer to where I was standing. My attempts to get around him had failed as the back rooms had been narrowed to make space for more storage.

I backed away a fraction, hoping he didn't notice. I was beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable, especially considering I knew he had a crush on me in the past.

"So, how have you been, Mike?" I asked.

"Oh Bella, don't pretend that you care" he said. I gasped.

"What?"

"You don't ever care how I've been. It's always about you. Poor old Bella got her heart broken…"

"Mike…I…" I started.

"But poor little Bella didn't want to move on with the sweet guy she worked with, instead moving on with the strange kid from the reservation" he continued. He was moving closer to me now not bothering to hide it. I stepped back but was stopped by some boxes that were sitting on the floor. I had nowhere to go.

I looked around the room for a way to get out of this situation, but Mike was blocking the only exit.

"Look, Mike, I'm sorry you feel that way, I am. You're a great guy, really" I said.

This must have pushed a button inside him because within seconds I found myself falling backwards onto the boxes with Mike's heavy body over me.

I fought to push him off and pushed with all my strength but he wouldn't budge. I kicked and struggled but it was no use. He was kissing my face now, putting his saliva all over me. He moved to my neck as I struggled more against this attack.

"You want this Bella" he said, his hot breath making me gag. "You just need to experience it and you'll realise" he continued.

"Mike, get off, you're hurting me!" I yelled. "I don't want this! Mike!"

Tears were coming from my eyes in waves as he grabbed the hem of my shirt, yanking it upwards. I struggled but it was no use. He did not stop, instead, he gawked at my lacy bra that I had carefully selected in case thigs got steamy with Jake.

I took his momentary distraction to wriggle my arm free enough to swing a punch that connected with his temple. It didn't have much of an effect, just seemed to make him angrier. He hit me in the face in his anger and held my two hands above my head with his other hand.

With his legs, he was pushing down on the lower half of my body so hard that my toes were going numb. I must have blacked out for a second because when I opened my eyes, I felt him move to unbutton my pants. _Oh my god, he is going to rape me. He is going to steal my virginity._ I thought.

"Mike, no! Mike! STOP!" I yelled.

"Just relax Bella, you'll like it, trust me, I know what I'm doing" he said.

"You're crazy!" I yelled.

He had unbuttoned my pants and was struggling to try and budge them as I struggled. He lost his grip for a second and I was able to roll away from him and bring my knee to his groin.

He grunted in pain as I heard the back door of the store crash open. Jake was running towards me, shaking from head to toe. Through the tears, I could make out his face, full of rage. His outline was a blur and I couldn't tell whether it was because my eyes were filled with tears or if he was about to phase.

"Bella, get out of here" he yelled to me.

I didn't have to be told twice. I yanked my shirt down and fixed my pants as I grabbed my bag and ran for the door. I didn't think about anything other than how badly I wanted to get out of there and away from Mike.

When I got out into the fresh air, I stopped and caught my breath. I stood there for a moment before I realised how dangerous this could be. I looked to the door that was hanging off its hinges and I was trying to decide whether I should go back in and make sure Jake didn't phase. If he did, he would kill Mike in an instant.

I walked back to the door and peered in. It was quiet.

"Jake!" I called.

There was no response.

"Jake?" … Again nothing.

I took two steps inside the door before I heard lowered voices.

"If you so much as look at her again, I will come to you, wherever you are, and I will rip you to shreds" I heard Jake say.

"She asked for it mate, she wanted it" Mikes voice said. At this, I was furious. I stormed into the room I had just run from.

"You fucking liar Mike, you were about to rape me!" I yelled. "Come on Jake, I'm going to report this asshole to my dad!". With that, I grabbed Jake's hand and pulled him from the room. He was still shaking as we got out into the fresh air. He stopped and held me in front of him as he looked me over.

"I'm ok Jake" I said.

"Are you sure?" he said.

"I am ok Jake, please, let's just go" I said.

We hurried to Jakes waiting car and when he opened the door for me I got in. Jake drove directly to the police station where, for the next three hours, I gave a statement about what happened. I had photos taken of my face, which now had a purple bruise underneath my left eye and dried blood that had come from a split lip. My wrists were also bruised as well as my legs and hips where Mike had pushed down with his legs.

By the time I left the police station, I was exhausted. Working all day, plus trying to fight off that monster and then giving a statement for three hours had really taken it out of me.

Jake drove me to my house and took me up to my room. He helped me change out of my clothes and into my pyjamas. I didn't care at this point that he was seeing me in my carefully selected underwear. I was just too tired to function. I collapsed into bed and pulled Jake down next to me. I curled up next to him and was asleep within minutes.

When I woke, Jake was not next to me. I glanced at the time and it was just after 11:30pm. My stomach growled in anger as I swung my legs out of bed. When I headed down the stairs, I heard Jakes voice.

"I would have killed him myself Charlie" he said.

"I wouldn't have charged you if you did" Charlie said.

"How do we tell her?" Jake said to Charlie.

"I think we just tell her as straight up as we can" I heard Jake say.

At this, I coughed loudly and stepped off the bottom of the stairs where I had been listening in.

"Hey Bella" Jake said as he stood up and kissed my forehead.

"Hey" I said as I looked from Jake to Charlie. Something had happened.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Look Bella, something had happened and I don't know if you will take it well" Charlie said.

"What is it dad? Just tell me straight" I said.

"Mike is dead" Jake said abruptly. "He killed himself" he continued.

I was shocked. I didn't expect that to happen. I walked over to the table where Charlie was still sitting and sat in the chair Jake had been sitting in.

I put my head in my hands and exhaled a long breath. Tears pricked my eyes, sad for the loss of someone who was once my friend. I had no idea how this would impact on the school.

"Well, what now?" I asked Charlie.

"There was a note… for you" he said. "Technically I wasn't supposed to tell you but I'm the sheriff and I can pretty much do what I want" he continued.

"What… What did it say?" I asked.

"He was crazy, Bella, legit crazy" Jake said.

"I guess… I don't want to know then" I said. When I thought about it, it wouldn't make a difference to me if I knew what he wanted to tell me. He attacked me. If it wasn't for Jake, he might have raped me. He didn't deserve to die this way and get out of receiving his punishment.

"Is there any food?" I asked, realising my stomach growls were getting louder. I hadn't eaten since breakfast and it was almost tomorrow.

"Just left overs from yesterday" Charlie said as he got up and pulled a container out of the fridge.

I got up and took it from him, putting it in the microwave. Within 10 minutes I had eaten and was ready to curl up back in my bed with my boyfriend.

"Will you come lay with me Jake?" I asked.

Jake looked to Charlie who just nodded. Jake took my hand and led me upstairs to my bedroom. He laid down and patted the bed next to him. I curled up under his arm, in my favourite spot and my breathing slowed as I felt my body relax.

"You saw me almost naked" I said.

"I promise I didn't look" he said.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, maybe just a peak" he said.

I crawled up so I could kiss him before I got comfy again and closed my eyes.

 **AN: Pretty intense chapter. If you struggled with it, it means you're human. Speak to someone you trust if you feel like it might have triggered something for you. On a positive note, things will get better for Bella. Back to school in the next chapter. I wonder how that will go... Stay tuned.**

 **Once again, please review. I'm still figuring this story out and am completely shit at writing sexy scenes, but I'll give anything a crack.**


	4. Chapter 4

It felt like no time had passed when I woke. I was on my side with Jake spooning me from behind, snoring softly. I turned my head to glance at the clock and saw that it was after 10am. I carefully slid out from under Jake's arm and quietly dressed before going down to the kitchen to make Jake a big breakfast.

I cooked bacon and eggs as well as pancakes and waffles. I went all out to show Jake how much I appreciate him saving me the day before. I put two pieces of bread in the toaster and caught a glance of my reflection in the metal. I had a huge purple bruise under my eye and a fat lip. I hadn't remembered being hit more than once, but I must have. I plated up the food and put the two plates and two cups of juice on a tray before carefully taking the tray up to my bedroom.

Jake was just stirring as I entered the room. When he opened his eyes, his expression was a mixture of happiness and anger. He eyed the tray in my hands and his smile it up the room, however, when he looked to my face, his smile dropped away and he was angry Jake from yesterday.

"Please don't… it doesn't hurt, honestly. Just looks worse than it feels" I said as I put the tray down on the bed.

Jake sat up and looked at me for a second before grabbing a plate and inhaling the smell of all the food.

"This is incredible Bella" he said as he leant over and kissed part of my face that wasn't bruised.

"I just wanted to show you how much I appreciate you saving me yesterday" I said.

"Consider me shown" Jake said as he shovelled bacon and eggs into his mouth.

"Charlie has gone to work" I said. "He must have had a lot to take care of" I added. Jake just nodded as he ate some pancakes.

"So whar oo wan a boo poday?" Jake asked with a mouthful of food. I raised an eyebrow at him as I tried to decipher his words. He swallowed before repeating himself,

"What do you want to do today" he said with a smile.

"I actually wouldn't mind just staying right here, watch a few movies or something" I said.

"This coming from the girl who _never_ watches tv" Jake said.

"Yeah well, I can't exactly go anywhere looking like this" I said, as I pointed to my messed up face.

Jake frowned.

"I swear Bella, I wanted to kill him… and I would have too" he said, with gleaming eyes.

"I know" was all I could think to say.

I picked up a piece of bacon off his plate and nibbled on it as I thought about everything that had happened. Not just about what happened yesterday afternoon, but about the whole Victoria thing, about Laurent, Jake, Alice… My life had been one trauma after the other and I was really starting to worry that it would never end.

"What are you thinking about?" Jake asked. It made me laugh just a little bit.

"isn't that usually what needy girlfriends say?" I asked.

"Well, I'll be the needy girlfriend then… What's up Bells?" he asked again.

"I was just thinking about how much has happened lately… Do you think I'll ever have a normal life?" I asked.

"If I have anything to do with it, your life will be as stress free as possible, from now on" he said with a smile.

"I know you mean it when you say that, but you can't protect me from everything" I said. "There will be things you can't control, things you can't see or know" I continued.

Jake just looked sad.

"I know Bella, fuck I know. But I want to try. I really want to try and keep you as safe as I can" he said.

I just nodded, but I knew that when tomorrow came, we would go our separate ways back to school and I would be alone in the face of people who might not believe my side of the story.

"We'll just see what happens tomorrow then, hey" I said.

"What do you mean?" Jake asked.

"Well, tomorrow I go back to school" I said, as though it should have been obvious. Jake's face was blank.

"Right" he said.

We sat in silence for a little while before I got up.

"I really think I need a shower" I said. "Do you want to pick a movie or something?" I asked.

"Sure" he said.

I went to the bathroom and undressed before turning the water on. I glanced at myself in the mirror and froze with shock at what I saw. Half of my face was bruised around one eye, my lip had a cut on it and was swollen, and my body was covered in huge bruises. I was used to seeing myself in this state but hadn't actually inspected the damage myself properly.

As I stood under the water and started washing myself, I couldn't help but feel that I was suddenly really dirty. No matter how much I washed my skin, it was almost like I could still feel Mike's hands on me, running down my torso, touching my face, clamping down on my wrists.

I began to feel a panic attack coming on so I rinsed the soap off and got out. I wrapped a towel around myself and sat on the cold floor, sobbing. My eyes were so blinded by tears I just kept them closed. I curled up on my side with my arms around my trembling body, trying to stop the panic from rising, but the more I tried, the worse it got. I was gasping for breath now, as the agonising cries had taken over my body. My mind was a blur and when I opened my eyes, the room was spinning. My pathetic attempt to yell for Jake was just a whisper as the darkness began to take over. The last thing I saw before I passed out was Jake's feet rushing in through the door.

I woke up a few hours later to the soft sounds of a tv. I hesitated before opening my eyes, trying to figure out where I was and what happened. I vaguely remembered being on the floor of the bathroom in a towel, trying my hardest to catch my breath.

I opened my eyes and saw that I was in my bed and Jake was stretched out next to me on top of the blankets. I took stock of myself and realised that I was still in my towel underneath the blankets. I wondered for a minute if Jake had seen me naked and quickly brushed the thought aside. I didn't actually care, it seemed.

"Hey" I said.

"Hey yourself"

"When did I get a tv?"

"Sam dropped it off"

"oh"

"Anything interesting on?"

"I started watching vampire diaries"

I chuckled at the idea.

"How's that going so far?" I asked. Jake just laughed.

"yeah…. Let's just not say anything about that… So how are you feeling?" he asked.

"Stupid" I answered. "I can't believe you had to save me, yet again".

"That's my job" he said. "I'll always save you".

I wriggled closer to him under the blankets and put an arm around him, resting my head on his chest. We laid like that for a while and watched the rest of the episode before I got up to get dressed.

Jake excused himself as I pulled clothes out of my drawers. Once I was dressed, I headed downstairs and found him awkwardly moving around the kitchen in an attempt to make lunch.

I stood in the doorway and watched, amused, as he slapped some bread together and put some sandwiches on a plate.

He turned and saw me watching him and smiled his 'Jake' smile.

We headed back upstairs to my room, taking our lunch with us. We sat and watched a few more episodes of the tv series before both of us declared that we needed some fresh air.

We shut the tv off and before heading outside, I found the biggest pair of sunglasses I could find, in hopes that it would cover some of the bruising.

We got in Jakes car and headed for the beach at La Push. It wasn't raining so we took a slow walk down to our favourite log. By the time we got there, my body was aching all over. It wasn't a long way but my body was protesting, regardless.

We sat and watched the ocean as some whales frolicked a few hundred yards out. Despite the pain in my face and my body, I was completely at peace. I felt a little sad for the Newtons, who had been nothing but kind to me throughout my time working for them. Their son was gone and although he was a sick jerk, they don't deserve to be suffering.

A tear escaped my eye and Jake reached up and wiped it away. I didn't even realise he had been watching me.

"sorry" I said. Although I didn't know what I was sorry for. For being sad? Maybe for ruining this moment?

"It's ok" he said. I looked into his face and suddenly felt a bit annoyed. He was feeling sorry for me.

"I really want to just put this whole thing behind me. I don't want you feeling sorry for me" I said.

"I'm just worried for you Bella, it was a big deal" he said. He was right, it was a big deal.

"I know… and I know that you care about me and you want me to be ok, but I have been through worse. I'm ok, I promise" I said as I leant over and kissed him. It hurt my busted lip, but I kissed him regardless. The feel of his lips on mine made me instantly calmer and I was ready to move forward in life.

"You don't play fair" he said as he pulled back from my increasing onslaught of kisses.

"What?" I said coyly.

"I can tell that it hurts you to kiss me" he said.

"It hurts more _not_ to" I said as I kissed him once more.

"Damn it Bella, I love you so fucking much" he said. It made me warm from the inside out to hear him say it.

"I love you too Jacob" I said. "So fucking much" I added with a giggle.

"I don't know how I'm going to let you go off to school tomorrow" he said.

"I know, it's going to be hard to get used to not seeing each other all the time, whenever we want" I said. I meant it. I had spent so much time with Jake lately that the thought of not being around him was weird.

We got up and walked hand in hand further down the beach, chatting as we walked. It still stunned me how natural this felt. Normal, simple.

As we drove back to my house a little while later, I found myself watching Jake. The way he held his hand on the gearstick, the way his leg moved up and down as he pressed his foot on the clutch, the way his brow furrowed when he concentrated. It was so absolutely normal. So real.

"It's so easy with you Jake" I said.

"What do you mean?"

"Being with you. It's simple. Uncomplicated"

"Easy as breathing?"

"Exactly"

We both had smiles on our faces as Jake drove us to my house. We pulled into the driveway and noticed Charlies cruiser was parked there.

We walked inside and chatted to Charlie before I got started on dinner.

"You wanna stay, yeah?" I said to Jake, as I headed to the kitchen and Charlie headed upstairs.

"Of course I do Bells, but I think… I don't want to, but I think I need to go home for a but, make sure Billy's ok" he said.

"Of course" I said. I pottered around in silence for a bit, getting dinner going on the stove. I knew that Jake had to go home at some point. I was already feeling a bit guilty for keeping him from his dad and his friends, but in a selfish way, I needed him more than they did at the moment.

"I'll come back though, later. So you don't have to sleep alone" he said. It made me smile. I didn't like the idea of sleeping alone. In fact, it terrified me.

As Jake was about to leave, he kissed me on the mouth, then on my bruised eye, then proceeded to kiss me down the unbruised side of my face and down my neck, trailing kisses to my collarbone. I leant against the kitchen bench as Jake held me gently and continued his ambush.

The feeling it induced was unlike anything I had felt before. I was tingling all over, from head to toe and I was having sensations in places I didn't know I had.

I hoisted myself up on the bench top and wrapped my legs around Jacob, pulling him closer as he continued his assault on my sensitive areas. I was breathing heavy now, as I grabbed Jakes face in my hands, bringing his mouth to mine. I didn't care that I had a split lip, I needed to kiss him, I needed to taste him.

The feeling of Jake so close to me, like this, was intense. I felt his erection starting to press against me as our tongues entwined once more as they had become so used to doing in the last few days. He wanted me, and it made me so damn excited to know it, to _feel_ it.

As we continued our romp in the kitchen, we were brought back to reality by the sound of Charlie coming down the stairs after having had a shower. I quickly hopped down off the bench and Jake headed immediately for the front door. He quickly called out "bye Charlie" as he exited my house and got into his car.

I stood on the doorstep to let the late afternoon air cool me down for a few minutes before heading back to the kitchen to finish dinner. _That was intense._

It was pretty much ready by the time I got back to it, it just needed serving up. I realised I should have sent some home with Jake.

As Charlie and I sat down to eat, I thought about what had just happened between me and Jake. It was hot and heavy and I liked it. I _really_ liked it. As I continued thinking about that and _more_ , I hadn't realised that Charlie had been talking to me.

"Hello? Earth to Bella?" he asked.

"What? Sorry, what did you say?" I asked.

"I was asking how you're doing today" he said.

"Oh, I'm good. I'm not going to let it get to me, I'm not going to let _him_ get to me" I said.

"Good, that's good Bells" he said. "Did you and Jake get out and about?" he asked after a while, trying to sound casual. I knew he was fishing for information.

"Yeah, we went out to the beach, walked around for a bit" I said.

"Glad to see you weren't stuck at home" he said. I knew what he was getting at. He didn't like the idea of me and Jake being alone together.

"We watched vampire diaries for a while though, before lunch. Sam brought over a spare tv" I said, testing the waters.

"Right…" he said.

"Well, Bells, you know, I really need to have a talk with you about all this" he said.

"All what?" I asked, desperately hoping he wasn't trying to have ' _the talk'_ with me.

"You and Jake" he said.

"Dad…" I started, desperate to avoid any discussion about my sex life.

"No, this is important. There's certain… precautions… you need to take to make sure you're…. Safe….." he stammered.

"Dad, I know about safe sex and about STIs and about respectful relationships. Mom beat you to it… By several years" I said. "Jake and I haven't gone there yet, but when we do, I promise, we will take every precaution necessary" I continued, hoping he would be satisfied. Renee was always so open and honest about sex. She was adamant that it was a healthy act between two healthy people.

"Yet" Charlie muttered under his breath. Was that all he heard?

"Yes, Charlie, _yet_. Jake and I are healthy adolescents and if we decide that we want to take our relationship there, then that's our business" I said, surprised by my own assertiveness.

There was nothing left for Charlie to say. I knew he was doing the protective dad bit, but I was an adult now.

"I guess you're right" he said at once. "I'm just too young to be a grandpa" he added.

"Oh, trust me dad, I'm not going to let that happen" I said, as I got up, ruffled his hair and put our empty plates into the sink.

After dinner, I had an uneventful shower and packed my bag, ready to go back to school the following day.

I sat on my bed reading over my history book when I heard a knock at the front door. I knew Charlie was downstairs so I waited to see if he would answer it.

I jumped up when I heard Jakes voice. I was worried that he wouldn't be back before I fell asleep. I was keen to continue what we had begun earlier.

I tried to listen as Jake and Charlie had a brief conversation. I couldn't make out any words, but I hoped that It wasn't along the same lines as the one Charlie and I had earlier.

When I heard Jake's footsteps come up the stairs, I quickly made myself look busy so that he wouldn't think I had been eavesdropping.

When he pushed my door open all the way, I turned and smiled, seeing his brilliant smile beaming back. I threw myself into his arms and winced as it hurt just a bit.

"Hey there" he said. "You happy to see me or something?" he asked.

"Beyond happy" I said as I kissed him.

He had his hands on my waist as he kissed me back, careful not to hurt my messed-up face. My hands ran up his muscular arms and into his hair as my mouth urgently demanded more. My greedy tongue searched out his and I quietly pushed my door back with my foot before walking us backwards to my bed.

It wasn't sex that I was after, but passion and intimacy. Jake let me lead, following me to my bed. Not that he had much choice, because I was pulling him by the shirt. When my legs hit the bed, I laid down, pulling him down with me. He laid on his side next to me and our legs tangled with one another. He rested on one elbow with his hand in my hair. As we kissed, Jakes other hand traced patterns on the exposed skin of my belly. Every touch was like a jolt of electricity through my body, but in the best way imaginable.

With one hand underneath Jake's neck, I was left to explore his muscular body with the other. As I did, he became more daring with his exploration of mine. He was now moving his hand up and under the bottom of my shirt and I let him know I liked it, by deepening the kiss, if that was possible.

As Jake's hand reached the underside of my breast, he hesitated and stopped kissing me.

"Is this ok?" he asked. I almost laughed. Of course it was.

"This is more than ok" I said, as I brought my lips back to his.

Jake's hands gently explored the soft peaks of my breasts, as though he were mentally drawing himself a map. His fingers lightly brushed against my nipples, making them stand at attention. When he noticed the effect it was having on my body, he continued brushing against them, occasionally lingering to roll a nipple under his thumb. As the intensity built, I threw my head back and let out a quiet moan of pleasure.

I was reaching down towards the waistband of Jake's cutoffs when he suddenly stopped and pulled away.

Once again, our passion was thwarted by the sound of Charlie on the stairs.

"Shit" Jake said as he jumped up, quietly opened the door a crack and sat at my desk with my history book in his hands and a pillow on his lap.

I sat up on my bed, panting as though I had run a marathon. I grabbed the remote for the TV and switched it on to a random show with the volume down low.

If Charlie looked in, he would think we were studying or watching tv or a combo of both.

Like I had predicted, Charlie poked his head in my door.

"Night kids" he said.

"Night dad" I said.

"Night Charlie" Jake said.

Charlie looked around the room, surveying every inch, seemingly for evidence of any wrongdoing.

"Don't stay up too late, ok guys? You have school tomorrow" Charlie said.

"Yeah, how can I forget?" I said with a sigh as Charlie headed for his bedroom.

After flicking through and finding something mildly interesting on TV, Jake headed back to the bed.

"You know how difficult it's going to be to keep my hands off you?" he asked in a low voice, as he took off his shirt and climbed in under the covers with me.

"About as difficult as it will be for me to keep my hands off you" I said with a smile.

Jake cupped my chin in his hand as he kissed my gently and pulled me close to him.

"I guess Charlie is right, we better go to sleep. I don't want to have bags under my eyes as well as bruises" I said with a laugh.

I turned the tv off with the remote and got comfy next to Jake. I fell asleep with my hand gently rubbing Jakes chest, and his hand playing with my hair. It was relaxing and comfortable and I couldn't imagine that it got much better than this.

The following morning went quickly. I got up early and made pancakes for breakfast. Charlie had gone to work early and Jake came strolling down the stairs just as I was serving.

He still had his shirt off and his cut-offs were hanging low on his hips. I drank in the sight of him without even trying to hide it and he was loving every second of it.

"You hungry?" I asked.

"Yep" he answered. Clearly not talking about the food.

I stood aside so he could enter the kitchen, knowing that if I didn't, we might both take advantage of the empty house and never get to school.

Before long, it was time for us to go our separate ways and so we stood at my truck, desperate not to part.

"I'll text you" I said.

"I hope you do" he said as he kissed me gently on my now healing lip.

"I love you Jake" I said as he opened my door for me to get in.

"I love you too Bella" he said as he kissed me once more. I would never get enough of this. "You make me so happy" he said as I got in and he shut my door. I leant my head out the window for one last kiss as the engine of my truck roared to life.

Jake stepped back as I started to drive the anxiety provoking trip to Forks High School. I looked in my rear vision mirror and watched him get into his Rabbit and drive off in the opposite direction.

I would miss him so much. I had fallen completely and absolutely head over heels in love. This kind of love was so different to what I had with Edward. This was mental, emotional, physical and complete in all the ways it could be. With Edward, I hadn't stood a chance for a love like this. Edward stimulated me mentally and emotionally, but there would never have been a chance for us to explore each other the way that Jake and I had, and still intended to do.

There was so much left to learn and to do with Jake and I knew now that it was all possible. We could be free to grow together, have children someday, have sex even, for fucks sake. None of that was possible when I was with Edward and I was laughing at myself for thinking I could have had a life with him. I was no so beyond over Edward and the Cullens that it wasn't even funny. The hole in my chest that burnt at the edges only a week ago was completely filled. Jacob had taken me over, mind, body and soul and I loved it.

I pulled into the carpark and immediately knew that it would be a rough day. I grabbed my bag and walked past the gathered students into the building. I completely ignored my friends as I headed straight for my first class. Before the teacher had a chance to begin, I was called to the headmaster's office.

 _Great, just what I need, more attention._ I thought.

I took my time walking to the office in hopes that it would make the day less painful. It seemed, however, that it had done completely the opposite. As I was turning the corner in the corridor to get to the door of the office, I quite literally ran into a crying Jessica.

"Jessica, hey" I said, not really having an idea of what to say to her.

"I bet you're happy with yourself" she spat. _Huh?_

"um, I don't know what you mean" I said.

"Mike is gone!" she yelled into my face.

"Yeah, I know" I said. I was trying to figure out what the hell she was trying to get at.

"Well, you know it's all your fault?!" she yelled again. People were starting to look out classroom doors now, drawn to the yelling.

"He committed suicide" I said, as if stating the obvious would make a difference.

"Only because you lied about him trying to rape you!" she spat.

"What the fuck Jess? He DID try and rape me!" I yelled. "Look at my fucking face where he punched me" I spat.

"That's bullshit, Mike would never have done that" she spat back. "Besides, he called me after you took off and told me that it was _you_ that tried it on _him_!" she was hysterical now. "He said that you tried to make a move on him and when he rejected you, you smacked yourself in the face and told him you were going to tell your dad he tried to rape you" she continued.

"Why would I do that when I have a boyfriend?" I asked, trying to be calm. The halls were filled with people now.

"Because you're a fucking drama queen Bella. Always want the spotlight. Just like when you went to the movies with them both a few weeks ago. Mike finally realised what a head case you were and was trying to get back with me" she said.

At this, the headmaster entered the corridor and led me into his office, leaving a distraught Jessica with her audience of onlookers.

"Take a seat, Isabella" he said, too formally for my liking.

I sat in the chair that he pulled out for me.

"Now, Isabella…"

"Just Bella… please" I said.

"oh, ok. Bella, I am aware that there had been an incident over spring break" he began. "Just as I feared, there have been some associated… issues" he continued. I wondered where he was going with it. "Look, Bella, at the end of the day, a student is dead and right now. That is our priority. The students are grieving and I think it's probably a good idea that you stay home for a while" he said.

I was shocked. I couldn't believe what was happening. Was I being made out to be the problem here?

"I don't understand" I said plainly.

"Bella, there is some inconsistency with the facts and the students are petitioning to have you suspended until it's all clear" he said. _What the fuck?!_

"The facts are clear! He tried to rape me. He knocked me unconscious! Then he killed himself so he didn't have to deal with the consequences!" I yelled. "My dad would have charged him on the spot, if he didn't find him dead!" I continued.

"Look Bella, I can't say who is right or wrong here, but clearly you're upset, so maybe its best if you take some time off"

"This is bullshit" I yelled, as I got up, kicked the chair back under the desk and stormed out of the room. "I'm the victim here, I was beaten and almost raped, but I'm the one who is in trouble? You can forget about the suspension, I never coming back to this fucking place!" I yelled before slamming the door and smashing the glass.

As I stormed out of the office, the corridor was full of students who had apparently just heard my outburst. As I stormed through the corridor towards the doors that would lead me to my truck, I took my phone out of my bad and dialled my dad.

"Hey Bells" came his cheery voice on the other end.

"Hey dad, I don't have time to talk. I've been suspended" I said, the anger still quite evident in my voice.

"Bella, stay right there, I'm coming" he said.

"Don't bother dad, I told them to shove their school. They're making out like I've done something wrong. I won't tolerate that shit, so I told them I'm never coming back" I told him.

"What about school?" he asked.

"I will figure something out. I'm not staying at a school that treats victims of sexual abuse this way" I said.

"That's my girl" he said.

"You're not mad?" I asked.

"Not at all Bells, I'd rather you stand up for yourself and what you believe in" he said.

"Thanks dad… Look, I'm going to head home and try and figure something else out. I need to finish school. Don't worry, it will all work out" I said.

"Ok, Bells. I'll see you when I get home" he said.

"Bye dad" I said as I hung up the phone and unlocked my truck.

As I drove, I pushed my truck a bit harder than I usually would. I was in such a bad mood, I couldn't contain it. Instead of heading home, I drove to the beach at La Push. I sat in my truck, wondering what I was actually doing here. Jake was at school but I desperately wanted to see him.

I got my phone out and sent him a text:

 _B-J: Hey there sexy man friend, I hope your day is amazing_

I didn't want to worry him too much, so I thought I'd start basic. His reply came quickly

 _J-B: Sexy man friend? I thought I was your boyfriend? I'll take the sexy though_

B-J: _ok then, sexy boyfriend, object of my dirtiest dreams, how has your day been?_

 _J-B: dirtiest dreams? I must know about these dreams immediately_

 _B-J: Well, in my dreams, we are never interrupted._

 _J-B: never?_

 _B-J: NEVER!_

 _J-B: we do get interrupted a lot don't we_

 _B-J: we sure do._

 _J-B: we might have to plan our nights better_

I was certain that our relationship was headed towards sex. Hell, if Charlie wasn't home last night, I'm almost certain that we would have done it. I always thought that I would be with a guy and we would date for months before having sex, but with Jake, it was different. I trusted him, I knew him, I loved him. Not only was he my boyfriend, but he was my best friend. I knew it was right and I knew I wanted to take our very early relationship to that next level… and soon. I sent him another text as I stared out to the ocean, watching for whales in the distance.

 _B-J: we definitely do_

 _J-B: Only if you want to that is_

Here came the awkward part.

 _B-J: Jake, I love you. I want to be with you, in every way._

 _J-B: I love you too, I just don't want to rush into anything you're not ready for. You know, chivalry and everything._

 _B-J: Chivalry is a myth_

 _J-B: Still… I want to make it special_

 _B-J: Damn, here I was thinking we'd get a 5-minute romp in the back of your car_

 _J-B: There will be no romping. Only loving._

 _B-J: Sounds like a plan_

 _J-B: Sounds like the best night of my life_

 _B-J: of our lives._

 _J-B: of course_

 _B-J: you still haven't told me how your day has been?_

 _J-B: it was boring until about half an hour ago when you sent me a text…. How about you?_

 _B-J: My day is better now._

 _J-B: now? How was it before?_

 _B-J: terrible_

 _J-B: why_

 _B-J: I got suspended from school. Apparently to avoid the drama… So I quit._

 _J-B: BELLA! Why didn't you tell me this straight away?_

 _B-J: I didn't want to worry you. Everything will be ok. I'll probably go to Port Angeles high._

 _J-B: Where are you? I'm leaving now_

 _B-J: No, don't leave school for me. I'll be fine._

 _J-B: Fine, you come to me then, you can finish and graduate here._

 _B-J: La Push high? I thought you had to be living on the res to go there?_

 _J-B: I could maybe pull some strings_

 _B-J: I'll get Charlie to make a call later… Go back to class._

 _J-B: Ok, Ok… fuck I love you Bells._

 _B-J: I love you too xoxoxoxox_

I threw my phone on the seat contemplating what Jake had just said. Could I go to La Push High School? There was only a few months left, after all. I decided to call Charlie and tell him what Jake had suggested.

He picked up quickly, as usual.

"Hey Bells"

"Hey dad, I have a proposition for you"

"I'm listening"

"Well, how about I go to school in La Push?"

"To be closer to Jake?"

"No, to be closer to home. I'm not going to drive an hour each way in my truck to go to school in Port Angeles"

"I'll think about it…. I just want you to focus on school, without… distractions".

"I'll be more distracted if I have to drive an hour each way, and with my truck, I don't even know if it's possible"

There was a few seconds of silence, then he spoke.

"I'll set up a meeting, but no promises"

"Perfect. Thanks dad"

"Yeah yeah".

As we hung up, I was feeling relieved. Part of me was anxious to be having to start yet another new school, especially as the only light skinned person there. But the other part of me was so very excited at the possibility of going to school with Jacob.

I drove home, determined to remain positive, no matter what was thrown at me.

I pulled in the driveway and headed inside, wondering what the hell I was going to do for the rest of the day. It was still quite early and the house was already clean so I sat up in my room and watched tv.

After a short while, I started getting bored. It seemed like I only liked TV when Jake was with me. I picked up a magazine off the floor and flicked through the pages that I had read a few times before. I got up and paced my bedroom, eager for something to keep me occupied.

Upon finding absolutely nothing to do, I went downstairs and set about making dinner for later in the day. By the time I was finished cooking and packing food into containers, I had made 4 days' worth of dinners for Charlie and me.

Feeling quite accomplished and having filled a few hours, I decided to head to Jakes house to meet him when he got home from school. I sent him a text so he knew not to come see me, and got in my truck. I drove to his house and was pleased to see him sitting on the front step when I pulled in the driveway. Before I had a chance to shut off the engine, he was in the passenger seat.

"Hey you" I said.

"Hey yourself" he said back, before he kissed me. "Your face is healing" he added after a lingering kiss.

"Yeah, my body is used to bruises and stuff by now, it heals pretty quickly" I said.

"Be careful, people might start to talk" he said with a wink.

"What? Say that I'm a wolf?" I asked.

"Well, stranger things have happened" he said.

"Oh shoosh you. Where are we going?" I asked.

"Anywhere you wanna go" he answered.

I reversed out the driveway and headed for the beach. It was our favourite place and even though I had already been there once today, I wanted to go back.

We hopped out after I parked my truck and headed down onto the sand and towards our log, hand in hand.

"I spoke to the headmaster of my school before I left" Jake said as we walked.

"Oh… and?" I asked.

"She wants to meet with your dad but she's pretty sure you'll be ok to start whenever you're ready" he said.

"That's great, I was so worried that I'd have to be held back or something if it took too long… I'm only a few months off graduating!" I said. At this, Jakes smile faded.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"Well, I'll still have a whole year to go at school and you'll be going off to college…"

"You're thinking so far ahead. Can't we just enjoy now?" I asked. I stopped walking and turned Jake to face me. His frown disappeared and he was young carefree Jacob again. Looking into his beautiful face, I stood on my tip toes to kiss him. He responded, leaning down and kissing me back.

Would I ever get enough of this? I wasn't sure that I would. Or could…ever. By the time we separated, it was raining.

"Besides…" I said, "I might have a gap year, try and get a job somewhere near here". If I was honest, I hadn't thought about college at all till now. A gap year seemed to be the ideal solution. I could work for a year to build up my bank balance a bit then Jake and I could go to college together.

"What… put off college? You can't do that Bells, Charlie would have a fit" he said.

"Charlie will be happy as long as I'm happy. And I'm happy when I'm with you" I said honestly.

"Well, I'm happy when I'm with you. Honestly, Sam swears that I must have imprinted or something, they way we've been behaving" he said as we continued walking.

"Imprinted?" I asked, not sure what he was talking about.

"It's like, when a member of our pack first sees their soul mate… They're kind of… bound for life… to each other" he said.

"Like, love at first sight?" I asked. Jake chuckled.

"It's more like… gravity moves… suddenly. It's not the earth holding you here anymore, they do… You become whatever they need you to be, whether that's a protector, or a lover, or a friend" he said.

"Oh… and Sam thinks you've… imprinted… on me?" I asked, terrified of what something like this might mean for us.

"Well, he says I have all the signs, but if it happened, we'd both know… There would be physical signs" he said.

"Signs like what?"

"well, there would have been an… event… the first time I saw you after I phased… Then there would have been some… health problems… for both of us, in the time that we were apart".

"What kind of health problems?"

"Well, if I had imprinted on you, you would have been cold. All the time, beyond belief. Never able to get warm… I would have been physically weak, my strength and my abilities would have been down the drain and eventually we would have come together and known immediately what it was" he said.

In a way, I hoped that he had imprinted on me, then we could live happily ever after together, without fear of something looming overhead. But at the same time, if he had, it wouldn't have been my choice to love him like I do, rather, some supernatural force pulling us together.

"So, what happens if you imprint on someone while we're together?" I asked, still confused by the whole thing.

"Well, Sam imprinted on Emily while he was with Leah. They were completely happy, sickeningly in love apparently, then he saw Emily once and she was all he could think about. He tried to stay away but he got sick, weak, couldn't function the same.… and so did she. He tried to just be friends with her but eventually, it was all too much and he broke it off with Leah" he said.

"So… we'd have to break up… If you imprinted on someone?" I asked, feeling a bit annoyed that I was only hearing this now.

"No way Bella. If I imprinted on someone, I would fight it harder than Sam did" Jake said, desperation in his voice.

"But Sam tried his hardest…"

"Yeah, but that's Sam. I'm stronger than him. I'm the alpha by default" he said.

My blank face was a sign for him to go on.

"My great grandfather was the head chief of our pack. Sam is only the alpha because he's older. He phased first, so naturally assumed the role. He offered it to me once I phased, but I turned it down. I didn't want to be _in_ the pack to begin with, let alone be its _leader_ " he confessed.

"Woah" was all I could think to say. I was trying to imagine Jake as leader of a pack of wolves. It just didn't sit right. There was silence for a while, except for our feet in the sand as we kept walking towards our spot on the beach.

"Sam's better at ordering people around anyway" I said, trying to break the tension that had built. We were now at our log on the beach, sitting in the sprinkling rain.

"Besides..." Jake began, seemingly pulling himself out of some deep thoughts. "I may never imprint. No true alphas ever have" he said.

"None?" I asked, feeling hopeful that Jake's ancestry meant he wouldn't leave me due to some supernatural force. He nodded.

"And now that the leeches are all gone, I can go back to normal" he said

"What do you mean, normal?" I asked.

"If I stop phasing I will eventually lose the ability to transform at all. I'll be completely human again" he said. This gave me hope. Hope that we had a chance to live an uncomplicated life together.

The rain was getting heavier now and I snuggled up to Jake to keep warm. If there was one thing I was certain of, it was that Jake would always keep me warm. Wolf or not.

 **AN: Next chapter is intense... Consider yourselves warned.**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: This one took a while to write based on the level of intensity. I also found myself stuck at one point with no idea of where to go. I still am not sure which direction i want to take this, or where it'd all going to end so just hang in there and i'll get it done...**

"Come on…" he said as he stood up from our log on La Push beach. I had had another big day and we had just had an intense conversation about our fate. I was only half convinced that Jake wouldn't _imprint_ on someone and leave me someday.

"Let's head home" he said, dragging me out of my thoughts.

Jake pulled me to my feet and we walked hand in hand back to my truck. He took the keys from me, offering to drive. I didn't refuse him, and climbed into the passenger seat instead. Jake drove my truck to his house with his arm around me to keep me warm. He pulled into his driveway, shut off the engine and looked to me, noticing my chattering teeth.

"You're freezing" he said.

"I know, it was really raining out there"

"Come inside, you can take a shower"

I got out of my truck and followed Jake inside. As I walked in dripping wet, I looked around and saw no sign of Billy.

"Where's Billy?" I asked.

"uhh, I think he said something about going to see the Clearwaters"

"Ohh" I said.

Jake handed me a towel and some sweats and I headed towards the shower. I hesitated for a second, contemplating asking him to join me, but thought better and went alone. After a nice long hot shower, I was feeling much better. I wandered out of the bathroom, towel drying my hair.

Jake was in his room, so I tapped on the door, hoping not to interrupt, and entered when he said to come in. He was sprawled out on his bed, shirtless, wearing just his cutoffs, watching tv. He was really testing me now.

I crawled onto the bed in an attempt to climb over him and lay beside him, but he caught me as I straddled him. With him laying beneath me, I felt a sense of power that I hadn't felt before. He had a loose hold of my hips as I leant down to kiss him. With my hair falling in curtains on either side of our faces, I kissed Jake with a new sense of urgency. As our lips crushed against one another and our tongues danced their well-rehearsed routine, my body began to move in ways that it hadn't moved before.

I realised that if someone were to walk in, we were now in a very compromising position but I didn't care. I could feel Jake responding underneath me and it only made me want to continue. I was kissing Jake as my hips were grinding against his, desperate for the contact. Jake's hands were on my ass, guiding my movements, occasionally slowing me and then moving me in different directions. It was completely exhilarating and stirred up some intense sensations within my body that only made me want more. I knew that at some point we would need to stop, but I was completely captivated by what we were doing, I didn't want to.

After a while, I unseated myself from Jake and laid on my side next to him. I continued kissing him, but had to give my legs a rest. I ran one hand over his shirtless frame and as I continued kissing him, I let it wander to the waistband of his pants. My heart was beating so fast and I was now, more than ever, completely aware that I was so very inexperienced. I fumbled with the button on Jakes pants and eventually got it undone. I slid my hand down inside his pants and through the hair to my target. When I reached Jake's erection, it was completely not what I expected it to feel like. It was warm and hard, but soft at the same time. It felt quite big, which completely terrified me but excited me all the same. As I reached my trembling hand around it, it throbbed with excitement. I continued kissing him as I started moving my hand, completely aware that I had no idea what I was doing. I moved my hand up and down his long hard shaft, occasionally giving it a slight squeeze. As my hand moved on its own, I realised that Jake had stopped kissing me as fiercely. I opened my eyes briefly and saw that his eyes were shut and his mouth was a perfect O shape. He was clearly enjoying himself and it pleased me to see. I continued pleasuring him as I moved to kiss his neck. I was feeling quite empowered and so turned on when suddenly Jake gasped, which was followed by a jet of hot liquid from the end of his throbbing erection.

"Fuck, Bella" he said with a smile as he leant over and grabbed a box of tissues from under his bed. He handed me a few before taking a couple to clean himself up.

"I take that to mean something good, yes?" I asked with a smile as I wiped the goo off my hands.

He didn't need to speak, instead, he smiled his brilliant smile and resumed kissing me. Before long, I was on my back, at Jake's mercy. He was kissing my mouth and my neck and his hands were now exploring my body in much the same way they had the previous night. Only this time, there was no Charlie on the stairs to interrupt. My body was begging to see how far this would go, desperate for some relief from the sensations that were building in my abdomen. Jakes hands reached up under the jumper of his that I was wearing and he paused when he realised I was wearing nothing underneath. With a smile, he continued kissing me as his hands explored my breasts and played with my nipples. He slowly began to move his hands south and I could feel my body practically begging for some kind of release. I was so turned on at this moment that I felt I would explode at the lightest touch. Jakes hand moved beneath the band of the pants I was wearing and continued downwards. My back arched when he found the sweet spot and he took this as an indication to explore it some more before moving further. He continued his sweet assault, moving towards my core, sliding a finger up and down my wetness. He inserted a finger inside of me and I moaned as I felt the sensation it evoked. I was dripping wet now as Jake continued exploring the junction between my thighs with his hand. As he ran his fingers over my sweet bundle of nerves, I let out a gasp as I tried to stifle a moan.

"It's ok" he whispered as I continued to feel the sensation of being pleasured. As I felt my impending orgasm build, I gripped the bed and arched my back, letting out a moan that included the words "don't stop". Jake conceded to my demand, remaining focused on that one sweet spot, as my orgasm built and everything around me disappeared. With my eyes shut tight, my body, my mind and my soul exploded at once as I came undone. Jake didn't stop, but slowed to appreciate the moment before kissing me and gradually coming to a stop.

I caught my breath as Jake laid down next to me.

"Fuck, Jacob" I said to break the silence that had developed between us.

He leant over and kissed me. I thought I was actually in heaven.

I realised that if I just said the word, we could have sex, right now. I contemplated this in my mind for a while before declaring to myself that it wasn't the time.

I reached my hand up to his face and stroked it gently.

"I love you" I whispered, still out of breath.

"I love you too" he said, smiling.

I heard Jake's stomach rumble which was a sign for me that she should get up.

"I think we should get something to eat" I said.

Jake peered down and patted his stomach.

"I think you're right" he said.

"What do you feel like?" I asked.

"Maybe we can go to the diner?" he said.

"mmm, sounds perfect. I'll need to get changed first I think" I said as I looked down at what I was wearing.

"I think you look great" Jake said with a smirk.

I gave him a playful slap on the arm and he got up, put a shirt on and headed for the door.

Within an hour Jake was parking his car at the carpark of the diner. We got out and walked hand in hand through the doors and into the busy restaurant. There were a few people there I recognised but they were all harmless. I was half expecting to be attacked by Jessica or one of her new groupies but I got lucky.

We chatted as we waited for our food to come. Once again, I was stunned at how natural this all felt. Our conversations flowed easily from one to the next and we mostly spoke of our lives before I came to Forks.

"I guess you had lots of friends?" Jake asked.

"Yeah I suppose I had a decent group of friends" I said.

"Many guy friends?" he asked.

"Yeah, it was actually a pretty healthy mixture of guys and girls" I said.

"So did you date any of them?" he asked, a bit awkwardly.

"Jake, you _can_ ask me how many guys I've dated, its ok"

"Well… I didn't… I mean… I was just curious"

"It's ok" I laughed, "I didn't actually date anybody before… well you know…"

"No one?"

"Nope"

"Oh"

"How about you?"

"Well there was this one girl I was sort of seeing but it wasn't serious"

I was stunned. I hadn't actually thought of Jacob with anybody else before. I thought I knew everything there was to know.

"What was her name?" I asked, suddenly curious about this mystery woman.

"Lexi" he said.

"Where'd you meet her?"

"uhh, school".

"The same school I am hoping to go to in the next few days?" I asked, wondering what the strange feeling was that I was having at the pit of my stomach.

"Yeah… Bella, are you jealous?" he asked, smiling his million dollar Jacob smile.

"Me? Of course not" I said. At least, I didn't think I was.

"Well, there's nothing to worry about, we broke up months ago".

"Months? So it's fairly recent then?" I asked, trying to track his life back through the last 12 months.

"Well, I was sort of seeing her when you and the blood sucker broke up" he said.

"Oh…" was all I could think to say. "So, when I came to you with the bikes..." I started.

"I was going to break it off with her anyway" he said.

"Jake! Why didn't you tell me you had a _girlfriend_?" I said, a little too forcefully.

"It wasn't a big deal. I think we kissed once or twice and the whole thing was just for show, you know, around school, a status thing" he said.

"Still, I really hope there's no animosity on her part" I said. "Especially considering… well… you know" I gestured to his physique. He was so damn sexy and he didn't even realise.

"What? Bella, no" he said, defensively.

"Jake, trust me, you've got it all going on. To be honest, I'm a little concerned" I said with a smile. "I may need to learn how to fight" I said as I took a sip of my drink.

Jake laughed at this and we both sat having a bit of a chuckle before either of us spoke again.

"Bella, you've got nothing to worry about, trust me" he said.

I got up and kissed him as I headed to the bathroom. I found myself thinking about Jake and this mystery girl, wondering about the intricacies of their relationship. He said they had barely even kissed and now it had been months. She had probably moved on by now. I freshened up and headed back to the table to be greeted by our food. It smelled great and all thoughts of Lexi were now gone from my mind.

Instead, I found myself in another world of thought, completely captivated by the man who sat opposite me. We sat in silence eating, but inside my mind, there were only thoughts. I found myself watching Jakes every move, wondering how I ever functioned without him by my side.

I thought about how fast things had grown between us and surprised myself when I wasn't completely and utterly petrified by it. It had been less than a week since I fell asleep on Jake's bed for the first time and now we were inseparable. Well and truly head over heels for each other. A tiny part of me was terrified that someday he would leave me just like Edward did, but there was more of me that was so excited about not knowing what the future held.

When I pulled myself out of my thoughts, I saw that Jake had been watching me.

"You know, you're cute when you're thinking" he said.

"Well, I must be cute a lot" I said with a smile, as I ate a forkful of my salad.

"Only good thoughts I hope" he said.

"Definitely good thoughts" I said.

"I'm curious" he said.

"Just thinking about how much has changed in the last week" I said.

"It sure has" he said with a smile.

We continued eating our meal and returned to chatting about life before Forks. I couldn't get over how simple it was to just hang out with Jake.

As we finished up, Charlie walked in and I waved him over.

"Hey dad" I said as he walked over.

"Hey Bells… Jacob" he said.

"Hi Charlie" Jake said.

"We have a meeting at the school at 8am Bells, so make sure you're ready to go in the morning" he said.

"oh, wow, that was fast" I said.

"Yeah well, I've got connections over there" he said.

"Right… well Jake and I were just done, so I'll see you at home then?" I asked.

"Sure thing Bells" Charlie said.

I quickly paid, and we walked out hand in hand towards the car

"I would have paid" Jake said, as he started the car. He looked sad.

"I know" I said as I reached for his hand. A shiver ran through my body as I remembered what his hand had done to me only hours before. Something inside me was desperate to revisit that again, and soon.

"So… this afternoon was fun" I said when there had been silence for a while.

Jake just grinned and squeezed my hand.

"It was" he said.

"We should do it again sometimes" I said. Hoping that sometime would be sooner rather than later.

"I'd like that" he said.

"I think we both would" I said.

We pulled into the driveway and before Jake shut off the engine, he leant over and kissed me.

"What was that for?" I asked.

"Just cos I can" he said.

I kissed him back and we remained in the car with the engine running and the windows fogging up for some time before realising that we needed to get out.

"Come on, let's go inside" I said, as we tore apart for a breath.

The rest of the night was fairly uneventful. We sat downstairs with Charlie and watched some tv for a while before heading upstairs. Charlie was adamant that we leave the door open and was so concerned that he made excuses to walk past every so often. There was no chance of continuing with our fun from earlier so we just sat and talked about the school on the reservation. Jake told me all about the teachers and the subjects he was taking. All anxious thoughts were now gone and I was excited to be finishing the last few months at school with Jacob. We eventually fell asleep in each other's arms and slept the night without a single bad dream.

The next morning Jake and I woke early and were ready to go before Charlie even got out of bed. I left him a note telling that I would meet him at the school and Jake and I headed to his house to gather his school things.

"This isn't really working out the best, is it?" I asked as we pulled into his driveway. He looked at me, his expression stunned, scared and angry all at once. He opened his mouth to talk but nothing came out.

"I mean, spending our nights at each other's houses" I said quickly, hoping that he didn't think I was breaking up with him.

He breathed a sigh of relief before he was able to speak.

"Jesus Bella, don't do that to me" he said.

"Wow, you have such little faith in my love for you" I said with a smile.

"I'm still pinching myself every day to make sure I'm not dreaming" he said as we walked up the path towards his front door.

I playfully pinched him on the arm and then grabbed him, pulling him closer to me. As our mouths found each other we were lost to the world around us, as always. Our tongues did their dance as Jake pushed me against the wall next to the front door. Jakes hands were on my hips, pulling me close to him and I was loving the feeling of him so close to me _there_. As our hips moved against each other's, we continued our passionate embrace for a while before slowing and catching our breaths.

"You're not dreaming Jacob" I whispered when our lips finally parted.

"I'm really not convinced. Stuff like that has only happens in my dreams" he whispered back with a smile.

Jake adjusted his pants as he opened the front door and we both headed inside. I knew now that it was going to be difficult constraining our passion for each other. Sex was the logical next step for us and I knew that I wanted to take it. If Billy wasn't home, I might have even pulled Jake into his room and stripped us both off right now.

As Jake went about gathering items and shoving them into his schoolbag, I sat chatting to Billy as he ate his breakfast.

"So, I hear you're going to school with Jake?" he said, without beating around the bush.

"I'm hoping to" I said. "Did Charlie tell you what they did at my other school?" I asked.

"Yeah, I think it's disgusting… But Bella, Jacob still has over a year to go and you're graduating soon. What then?" he asked. I knew these kinds of questions were going to come sooner or later and I had finally made up my mind what I wanted to do.

"Well, I still don't have enough money to pay my college tuition so I'm going to postpone for a year and try and get some work" I said confidently.

"Right" he said. "Any idea where you want to work?" he asked.

"Well, I _had_ planned to stay on at the Newtons but I can't see that working out, so I suppose I'll just apply for work in town" I said.

"Well, I'll definitely keep an eye out for anything around here. We'd love to keep you around for a bit longer" he said. I was relieved, as I thought this conversation might have been going another way.

Jake walked out of the hallway and stopped as he saw me and Billy chatting.

"This can only ever mean bad things" he said, gesturing to the two of us.

"We're just chatting, aren't we Bella?" Billy said.

"Sure" I said with a smile.

Jake took my hand and we headed out together.

"See ya Billy" I called from outside the front door.

"Bye you two" he called back.

As we got in Jakes car, Jake was smiling.

"What?" I asked.

"You don't have to make an effort with him you know" he said.

"What? I'm not, I like Billy, I've always liked him. Nothing has changed Jake" I said.

"Everything has changed Bella" he said, the tone of the conversation changing drastically. "You're not just his best friend's daughter anymore, or his sons best friend. You're his son's girlfriend. Everything has changed" he said. I was a little shocked by his response.

"I don't feel like anything has changed Jake. We still hang out, we still see friends, we still go to school…" I said.

"Yeah and we can barely keep our hands off each other and our clothes on" he said.

"That's not a bad thing" I said.

"No, it's not, it's a really _really_ good thing, but for Billy, and for Charlie too in fact, I'm betting a lot has changed" he said.

"Soooo, I can't sit and chat with Billy anymore?" I asked., confused by where this whole conversation was going.

"No, that's not what I'm saying. Of course you can. I just guarantee you that he'll always try and find a way to fish for information" he said.

"So you don't want him knowing anything about us?" I asked.

"No! What happens between us is our business" he said forcefully.

I stayed silent now, wondering if this was our first fight. We weren't even disagreeing, but it felt like I was being chastised.

We were almost at the school and still hadn't spoken. As Jake pulled into the carpark, I anxiously fidgeted with my hands. Jake stayed silent, seemingly having said everything he needed to.

As he shut the engine off, I sat silently, hoping that he would say something. When he didn't, I looked up and noticed Charlie's car a few spaces away.

"Well, I better go do this meeting" I said as I opened the door and got out. Jake didn't say anything and I was gutted when I saw that he didn't come with me as I headed to Charlies car.

Charlie watched as I walked towards his car, getting out when I was nearby.

"Hey, is that Jake sitting in his car?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think he has to make a call or something" I said, shrugging. The last thing I wanted was to let Charlie know that there was something happening between us. What it was though, I didn't know or understand. We didn't argue or fight or even disagree. There was just silence.

As I walked into the building behind Charlie, I turned and looked towards Jake's car. I saw Jake standing nearby with a group of people. I recognised most of the guys from the pack straight away but also saw some others I hadn't seen before. I wondered briefly if Lexi was included in that group of people. As I walked down the corridor with Charlie, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and sent Jake a text.

 _B-J: If they let me stay, I'll meet you at lunch?_

I didn't have time to wait for a reply, as we were called in to the headmistresses office straight away. I stuffed my phone back into my pocket and walked in through the door.

The headmistress was a lovely dark-skinned woman with black hair tied back into a neat tight bun. She wore feathered earrings and a casual top with jeans. I liked her already.

"Good morning Mr swan, Isabella… My name is Linda Brown, or Miss Brown if you like, won't you both take a seat" she said as she gestured to the comfy armchairs near her desk.

"You can call me Bella" I said, in the friendliest tone I could conjure. She returned a warm smile.

I placed the folder of documents I was told to bring on the table and sat down. She flicked through the pieces of paper that reflected my grades and my skills and put them down, folding her hands in front of her.

"Now, Bella…" she began. "I understand that you were suspended from your last school?" she said.

"Well, Bella wasn't exactly suspended" Charlie said. "She was asked to stay away for a few days" he said, looking to me. He was clearly intimidated by this woman.

"I was sexually assaulted by an ex friend who killed himself afterwards. But not before he called another friend, telling her that I came onto him" I said bluntly.

"I see" said Miss Brown.

"The school suggested that I stay away to save the drama, but I felt like I was being punished for being a victim" I said.

"Hmm, yes it's definitely a tricky situation" she said.

"Bella was going to go to school in Port Angeles but she already has friends here so I figured it would make sense for her to come here and not travel all that way" Charlie said.

"You have friends here?" Miss Brown asked.

"Yeah, well I grew up with Jacob Black and now we're dating. I'm also friends with his friends. We've hung out a lot" I said.

"So, this relationship won't get in the way of your studies?" she asked.

"Absolutely not" I said. "I was in a relationship with someone else until about 6 months ago and I was able to keep my grades up" I continued.

"Yes, I see you've maintained a b plus average. Very impressive miss Swan" she said. "We don't normally accept those who we would call _outsiders_ into our school but I have had calls from some of the parents, particularly Billy Black, who are all supportive of you attending here and I think you'll fit in fine" she said.

"So I'm allowed to enrol?" I asked.

"Yes, in fact, you can start today if you have your things with you" she said.

"I can make do" I said.

"Perfect. I'll have Miss Green print up your schedule and you can head to your first class" she said.

As we stood up to leave, Charlie shook hands with Miss Brown and I noticed him blush. Charlie didn't normally behave this way, it was interesting to see.

"Don't hesitate to contact me if there are any problems Miss Brown" he said.

"Please, call me Linda, chief Swan" she said.

"Only if you call me Charlie" he said.

 _What was going on here?_ I asked myself. My dad was flirting with the head of the school and she seemed to be flirting back.

We left her office and I said goodbye to Charlie and headed towards the admin office. When no one was looking, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and sent a text to Jake, completely forgetting that we were sort of mad at each other.

 _B-J: I'm in. Will see you at lunch xoxoxo ps: Charlie and Miss Brown are hott for each other._

I walked into Miss Green's office, wondering for a brief moment if coloured last names were a common thing around here. She politely gave me my schedule and advised me that I had math first, followed by English.

The morning went by quickly in a rush of new faces and teachers. The content was easy to grasp and I found myself fitting in easily. In between my first two classes I ran into Embry and Paul who seemed happy to see me. By Lunch time, I still hadn't had a reply from Jake which I was worrying about. I headed to the cafeteria and looked around for a familiar face.

I saw that the biggest table was occupied by members of the pack and a bunch of others who I'd never met. Jake was nowhere to be seen. I was waved over by Quil who looked a bit better than he had the last time I saw him. He seemed to be embracing his new status and fit in well with the pack.

"Hey, Bella" he said as I took a seat next to him on the bench seat.

"Hey… have you seen Jake?" I asked.

"Nah, he was in class, but I lost him on the way here" he said.

"Hey, its Bella" I heard Paul say. "Hey everyone, this is Bella" he yelled to the group, "Bella, this is everyone" he said to me. I did the awkward wave thing but inside I was preoccupied by thoughts of Jakes whereabouts. When everyone was done with their 'hellos' I asked Paul if he knew where Jake was.

"Nah, I haven't seen him since this morning. He was a bit weird to be honest, what's up with that?" he said.

"I wish I knew. We didn't have an argument or anything, he just got a bit weird in the car on the way here. He hasn't text me back or anything since. Now he's disappeared" I said as I pulled my phone out and dialled Jakes number. There was no answer. I got up to go to the bathroom which was out the doors and down a corridor if my memory served me correctly.

I exited the cafeteria, grateful for the quiet of the hall, but stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Jake in the hall with a girl. They seemed to be deep in conversation and I suddenly felt like I was intruding on something intense. I was about to walk away before I realised that this wasn't actually an ok situation. Jake was my boyfriend and they seemed far too intimate for my liking.

I strutted over to where Jake stood with his back to me and as I got closer I could hear their conversation.

"…not fair Jacob. Just a few months ago we were pretty much dating. Then she says jump and you don't even call me back. What does she have that I don't?" she said in a whiny voice. I already hated her.

"We never dated Lexi, we barely even hung out" he said. _Lexi_ I thought.

"You didn't give it a chance Jacob, if you just let me, I'll show you a _real_ good time" she said as she walked her fingers up his chest, eyeing him up and down. Jake pulled away and she only attempted to get closer. This was too much for me and I continued walking over to where they stood, got in between them and grabbed Jake's face in my hands, kissing him.

"There you are babe, I missed you!" I said to Jake. "And you must be Lexi" I said to the girl, in my most forceful sweet voice. "I've heard so much about you… I'm Bella" I continued, wrapping my arm protectively around Jake.

She was speechless and I took it as a sign to drag Jake away. I took his hand in mine and pulled him towards the cafeteria.

"See you around, Lexi" I called.

"Thanks for rescuing me, that was awkward as hell" he said.

"Well, for a minute there I was a bit worried. It looked like an intense conversation from back here" I said as we walked through the door.

"She's pissed because she found out they let you in" he said. "She's like, racist against you pale faces or something" he said.

"I don't mind, she doesn't intimate me" I said as we sat at the crowded table.

"Look, Bells, about earlier…" he began, "I don't know what to say, I guess I acted like an idiot" he said.

"It's ok Jake. You want to keep us between us. I completely agree" I said.

"So I'm forgiven?" he asked.

"yep" I said with a smile as I leant in and kissed him. It was supposed to be a small peck but it turned into a full-on demonstration of our affections, right there in the middle of the full cafeteria..

As we broke apart, the whole of the cafeteria cheered and clapped for us. I was mortified, but Jake just stood and bowed to his audience.

The rest of the lunch hour went by in a flurry of conversations and questions. I quickly made friends with some of the girls who took more of an interest in me than in Lexi who had come to sit at the opposite end of the table.

Before too long, it was time to go to classes and Jake and I parted with a promise to meet at his car after school. I was beyond happy in this new place. I had made friends with Jakes friends who were in both of our grades and was feeling right at home here.

At the end of the day, I walked out of the doors that I walked through that morning and headed towards Jake's car. He stood there in the shining sun, his gorgeous brown skin glowing like some god. I knew that there was no way I would ever get enough of this man.

 **AN: Please review. Its greatly appreciated, as always. I would love feedback on my big scenes, as they're the ones i cringe at when uploading them, thinking they're horrendous... Who likes Charlie and Miss Brown? I feel like there's a story there, begging to be told :-D Stay tuned, I'm hoping to get another chapter up within 24 hours.**


	6. Chapter 6

We spent the afternoon at Emily's place with the pack, talking business. There hadn't been any sighting of vampires since Alice left but seeing as though it had only been about a week, Sam didn't want to take chances.

"We need to still be running patrols" he said to Jake. "I've given you this time off to be with Bella but we need you back" he continued.

"The guys have been doing great without me" Jake said.

"You're a part of this pack too Jake, you need to step up" Paul said.

"They can't keep picking up the slack. Especially with school back now, there needs to be some fairness" I said to Jake.

"I guess you're right. You all are. I just figured it was all over now that the red head was gone" Jake said.

He turned to me and gave me a worried look. I squeezed the hand of his that I was holding, to reassure him that everything was ok. I was fine with him needing to run patrols. It was part of who he was.

"Right, well that settles it. We'll be running one at a time, Jake you can do the early night shift tonight till Paul takes over and I will be around tomorrow.

The guys sat around working a roster that would suit everyone. I wasn't overly thrilled at the idea of Jake doing nights, but it was better than the guys having to take more time off school. I helped Emily make dinner in the kitchen while the guys played a rough game of soccer in the yard.

"So, how did your first day at school with Jake go?" Emily asked me.

"Fine, it was great actually. I interrupted something between Jake and some girl, but other than that it was good" I said.

"A girl?" she asked.

"Lexi" I said with distaste.

I told her about the encounter that I overheard and she assured me that everything was fine. I knew that Jake had no interest in this girl, however, it didn't stop her trying to get her filthy hands on him.

"Well, Bella, Jake is a good-looking guy. It's probably gonna happen a lot" she said.

"Yeah. I was joking with Jake when I said I might need to learn to fight, but maybe I should have been more serious" I said with a laugh.

"You have nothing to worry about, Jake only has eyes for you. Besides, there's a lot of people here who can have their eyes and ears open for any of that nonsense. And from what I hear, you've made some good friends already at the school" she said.

"Yeah, actually I have. The people there are so different to Forks high"

"It's the culture Bella. We welcome people, regardless of who they are, where they're from, what they've done in the past and who they're with" she said. I got the impression she meant more than she was saying.

"Yeah, I've kind of noticed" I said.

"Of course, of course" she said as she chopped some vegetables.

We continued in the kitchen for the better part of the next hour, working perfectly together. Emily and I were like a chef's dream, we barely needed to speak, we just performed perfectly in the kitchen.

When dinner was being served to the masses, Emily asked me quietly, "Bella, do you have any plans next year? I've heard word that you're planning on holding off on college?".

"Well, I was hoping to find a job for a year, you know, save up some money" I said.

"You should think about getting into hospitality, you're great in the kitchen" she said.

"Hmm, I might. Thanks Em" I said.

The night wore on and before too long it was time for me to head home. Jake was staying behind to run his patrol and I was putting off leaving till as late as possible.

"It's going to feel so wrong sleeping alone tonight" I said as Jake walked me to my truck. Jake wrapped his huge warm arms around me, holding me tight, but not too tight, saying everything he felt in that embrace.

"I'll be over as soon as I'm done" he said, as he pulled away and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"If you're not too tired" I said.

"I've already told Paul to meet me near your place to change over shifts" he said.

At this, I smiled and stood on my toes to kiss him. Jake moved his feet apart to try and make himself shorter and our lips found each other's. This kiss was different from most others, it was desperate, anxious and needy. I needed to feel as much of Jake's passion as I could, knowing that I was going home to sleep alone and the nightmares would be likely to come back.

My arms wound their way around Jake's neck and my hands found his hair as his hands playfully grabbed my butt and held on to my hips. Our tongues, so familiar with each other now, moved perfectly and passionately, only halting to breathe. We continued, putting off the inevitable until we heard Sam call out.

"Jake, it's time to go" he said, bringing us out of our trance.

"YYEP" Jake called back, not taking his eyes off mine.

"I'll see you later?" I said, as I reached for the door of my truck.

"Absolutely" he said, as he kissed me lightly on the forehead.

I got in my truck, started the engine and began to drive away as Jake walked back towards the house. I saw him take off his shirt and begin to unbutton his pants in my rear vision mirror, thinking that soon, I'll be watching him do that and it won't be so he can phase. The thought made me excited, scared and nervous all at once.

I contemplated the idea of sex and I knew that I was ready to take that step with Jake. We both wanted it, it was just a matter of timing. I knew that with Jake running patrols now, it wouldn't be easy to plan, it would just have to be something that happened. I was a little disappointed, as I had always thought that my first time would be special - flowers, hearts and romance, but I was starting to realise that reality wasn't like in the movies.

If I was honest with myself, I wasn't really too worried about the when, where and how of it. I just knew I wanted it.

I was home before I knew it and saw Charlies cruiser in the driveway. As I walked in the door, I said hello to Charlie and headed towards the stairs.

"No Jacob tonight?" he asked.

"No, he thought he'd stay home with Billy tonight" I said. We had it all worked out.

"That's good Bells, good for you two to have some… separation" he said.

"Yeah, I guess"

"How was school anyway?" he asked. I returned to the living room and sat down, telling Charlie all about the day. He was happy to hear that I was fitting in well and pleased to see that I was happy there.

I said good night and went upstairs to take a shower. Afterwards, I got into bed and watched a bit of TV before hesitantly drifting off to sleep. I was so consumed with worry about nightmares, that I was shocked when I woke at 2:05am to the feel of Jake's warm body, climbing in beside me.

"Hey" he whispered.

"Jake?" I whispered back. "How was it?" I asked.

"Wasn't too bad. Pretty boring, not even a sniff of anything suspicious" he said quietly.

"That's good then" I said as my heavy eyes tried to close.

"Go to sleep, we'll chat in the morning" he whispered, and he kissed my forehead as my mind fell back into a deep sleep.

The following morning, I woke to the sound of the alarm buzzing in my ear. Jake was sleeping soundly next to me, undisturbed by the noise.

I hit the snooze button and my eyes fell shut. It was so peaceful, lying next to Jake.

My eyes shot open when I heard Charlie's heavy footsteps in the hall.

"I'm off early" he called through the closed door.

"Ok, bye dad" I called back.

"You in for dinner?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'll cook something" I answered.

"Righto, see ya this afternoon" he called.

"Bye dad" I called back.

I heard Charlies footsteps down the stairs and listened as the front door opened then shut, followed by the sound of Charlies cruiser starting up.

I turned to face Jake, who was now wide awake, looking at me.

"Hey there" I said, kissing him gently.

"Hey yourself" he answered.

I snuggled down into the bed and curled up beside Jake. As I moved to get comfy next to him, I brushed up against something hard. Realising quickly what it was, I awkwardly attempted to avoid it, but it was too late.

"Sorry, I'll put a pillow there or something" Jake said, flipping onto his back with his knees up and turning a shade of red.

"It's ok, honestly" I said as I snuggled into Jakes side.

"Side effect of being a male" he said.

"What? Every morning?" I asked.

"Pretty much" he said.

I leant up on my elbow, bringing my face level with his. I began kissing him, knowing that I was probably making the situation worse for him, but I didn't care. He was kissing me back, one hand in my hair, the other resting on my hip. With my free hand, I playfully explored his body, travelling further down towards the erection that I knew was waiting for me. I reached into his boxers and released it, encasing it in my hand and caressing it gently. It throbbed like crazy and I knew this was our moment.

I released him from my grip and sat up, moving one leg over him so I was straddling him, all the while, still kissing him. I felt a sudden thrill when I felt is hardness between my legs. I knew I wanted it. I had spent so long thinking about this moment, planning it and worrying about it, but I was now more certain than ever that the only thing that would make it perfect was that it was with Jake.

I yanked off my pyjama shirt as my body grinded against his. I felt the sensations building inside of me and I wanted him now, more than ever.

I rolled onto my back, pulling Jake on top of me. He was in awe, it seemed, because he stared at me for a while before he continued kissing me. His hands were exploring the naked top half of my body and he was now kissing my neck. I wasn't sure how much longer I could take it.

"I want you so bad" I whispered as he breathed his warm breath on the sensitive skin below my ear. He stopped suddenly and I thought he was put off by my sudden outburst.

"Are you sure?" he asked, looking into my eyes. I could see fear mixed with excitement in his gaze as I nodded and kissed him again.

After less than a minute, he stopped kissing me and leant over the edge of the bed to where his pants were. He pulled a shiny foil packet from his pocket and I took the opportunity to remove my pants, leaving me completely naked and feeling slightly vulnerable.

He slid the condom over his erection and resumed kissing me. I was so nervous that I was shaking and I sensed that he was nervous too.

"If you want to stop, we'll stop, ok?" he asked.

"Ok" I said, as I kissed him again, wrapping my legs around his hips.

He reached down between us and positioned his erection at my entrance. I felt his warmth as he carefully eased himself closer, slowly sliding the tip of his erection inside of me. I knew to expect pain but I still gasped as I felt myself stretch in a way that I hadn't before.

"Are you ok?" he asked, concerned. I nodded as I reached behind his head and brought his mouth to mine. I wanted this so badly and even though it was painful, it felt good to be close to him like this.

Jake continued to ease himself inside of me and I held my breath as he filled me completely.

"Is this ok?" he asked.

"This is good Jake" I said as I released my breath.

He slowly started to move, and as he did, the pain started to go away. I was kissing him with desperation as he continued slowly thrusting back and forth, never removing himself from me completely.

Jake began building up a rhythm and as he did, my body began to match his, thrust for thrust. As he was grinding against my sensitive spot, I felt the warmth built up behind my navel and let out a moan of pleasure. I dug my nails into his back as my orgasm built, and as I felt my sweet release, I called out his name, clenching my legs around him, feeling him jerk as he felt a release of his own.

We laid perfectly still for a moment before Jake propped himself up and slowly and carefully eased himself out of me. I winced as he did so, feeling a twinge of pain. He kissed me on the forehead before removing the condom and tying it in a knot.

"Are you ok?" he asked me.

"I'm great. You?" I answered.

"Amazing" he said as he laid on his side next to me.

I kissed him before turning to look at the clock. An hour had passed since the alarm went off.

"We need to go soon" I said.

Jake just nodded and kissed me.

"I'm going to take a shower" I said. "Want to join me?" I asked. I wasn't shy about my body in front of Jake, not anymore. He jumped up, almost too quickly and I threw a towel at him as I wrapped myself in another.

I turned on the shower and hopped in, followed by Jake. There was not a lot of space in the small shower and Jake's head didn't fit under the shower head. I squeezed some body wash onto my shower sponge and was about to wash myself when Jake took the sponge from my hand. He started washing my back and my shoulders, followed by my breasts, which he spent more time on than the rest. When he reached my legs, he stopped.

"Shit, Bells, I'm sorry, I really hurt you" he said.

I looked down and noticed a patch of blood that had run down my leg. Only slightly embarrassed, I tried to assure him it was ok.

"It's completely normal for someone's first time Jake, trust me, you didn't hurt me" I said, kissing him softly.

I took the sponge from him and washed the rest of my body while Jake watched on. When I was done, I washed his upper body, letting him finish himself off as I got out. I headed for my room and was half dressed when he entered. He threw on his clothes as I pulled on my jeans and we went downstairs together and had a quick breakfast before heading to school in my truck.

As I drove, I glanced at Jake every now and then, noticing that his smile never left his face.

"You better cut that out or everyone will know" I said.

"Cut what out?" he asked, smiling even bigger now.

"That huge smile you have on your face" I said with a giggle.

"Well, I'm happy" he said.

"That you got laid?" I asked jokingly.

"That we had an incredible morning together" he corrected me.

'Well, I'm happy that I got laid" I said with mock confidence.

We both laughed as I continued down the main road that connected Forks with the Reservation.

"So you _are_ happy then?" he asked, his smile gone and seriousness plastered over his face.

"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?" I asked him.

"Well, I thought maybe you wanted it to be more… special, I guess" he said.

"It was special Jake. It was special because it was with you" I said, removing my hand from the gear shifter and holding his hand. "I wouldn't take it back, not for a million dollars" I added.

At that, Jake leant over and kissed me on the cheek, almost causing me to veer off the road when I attempted to turn and kiss him back.

"Bella, eyes on the road honey" he said.

I frowned as I focused on the road. It was truly so very difficult being around Jake when all I wanted to do was kiss him or hold him or touch him in some way. And now that our relationship had gone to that new level, I had a feeling things would get even more difficult.

We arrived at the school and I pulled into the parking lot and shut off the engine. We were right on time and the bell rang as we both exited the truck.

Before heading towards the main building, I grabbed Jake and kissed him, hard and passionately, pulling him close to me. As I released him, he seemed dazed.

"That's for kissing me while I was driving" I said with a playful smile and he swatted my backside.

We walked towards the building hand in hand and parted ways as we headed to our classes.

The morning went by reasonably quickly. I had two classes and free period so I spent my time in the library working on an assignment that was due. I was given extra time to get it finished, but considering I had already done it at my old school, it was easy enough and I finished it before lunch.

When the lunch bell rang, I left the library and headed for the cafeteria. I ran into Jake on the way who suddenly pulled me into a storage closet. _Typical_ I thought.

"Hey" he whispered as he looked into my eyes before kissing me.

"Hey" I whispered back, wrapping my arms around him.

"Seems I can't stop thinking about you" he said.

"That's interesting" I said back with a smile. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about this morning" I added.

He hoisted me up and I wrapped my legs around him, holding on, as he kissed me. He pressed me against the wall and was grinding his hardening erection into me as we continued our passionate encounter. ' _This guy was insatiable'_ I thought to myself. Then again, so was I.

"We can't do this here" I said.

"We're not doing anything" he answered.

"Well, if you keep going, we just might" I said, feeling flustered.

He eased me down and adjusted his pants so you couldn't see the bulge that had formed. We exited the closet and headed for the cafeteria, where we found the group of friends all sitting around the same table as the day before.

We sat in perfect comfort at the table, surrounded by friends, talking about classes, assignments and potential weekend parties. It was as if we were finally living normal teenage lives – no vampires, no wolfy business, just regular teenagers. As I looked around the group, I noticed the subtle differences between the members of the pack and the _ordinary_ teenagers. The pack members were taller, more muscular and appeared fitter, but they also looked older, more tired and had a general sense of weariness about them. I guessed that having senses that other teenagers didn't have made it difficult to completely unwind.

I turned to Jake, who had been sitting at the end of the bench seat at the table with me between his legs leaning against his chest. I wondered if there had been a point in time that I realised he was different to other teenagers. I know that he suddenly got buff a few weeks before he phased for the first time, but he never really changed his personality. That's what I loved about him. He had all this extra responsibility but he was still just my Jacob.

"What you looking at?" he asked playfully as the rest of the group were attempting to organise a party.

"Nothin" I said with a smile.

He leant down and kissed me, which made me tingle all over.

"Aww, come on you two, can't you keep your hands off each other for like 5 minutes?" I heard a voice say. It was Seth Clearwater. He was the little brother of Leah who had been dating Sam when he imprinted on Emily. Seth was a couple of grades below Jake and the pack but he was friendly with the group regardless. That's another thing I loved about this place and the people in it. It didn't matter what grade you were in, who you were, the colour of your skin – everyone fit in.

"You jealous Seth?" Jake called, laughing.

"Nah, I don't have time for women, too complicated" he said, grinning.

He kept walking over to the table he was at and sat, chatting to his friends. I wondered what kind of life he would have had if the vampires hadn't been removed in time. He wasn't the same build as Jake and the others, but I have heard Billy mention the Clearwaters before and I was certain he had the gene. It would have been purely a matter of time.

As the bell rang throughout the school, signalling the end of lunch, everyone went their separate ways to their classes. I had double English which I enjoyed, and the rest of the afternoon flew by.

At the end of the day, Jake was once again waiting for me in the parking lot, standing by my truck chatting to his friends. As I walked closer to him, I noticed Lexi standing nearby, eyeballing me as though I were her enemy. I slid in between the group and took my position next to Jacob and he wrapped an arm around me possessively. I gathered he didn't miss the looks Lexi was throwing my way. We all stood chatting for a while before agreeing to meet at First Beach. It was better than hanging at the school parking lot, after all.

"Who's on shift this afternoon?" Jake asked Jared as the group started to dissipate.

"Quil" Jared said, seeming distracted.

"Easy shift I suppose, for his first run" Jake said.

"Yep" Jared said, pulling himself back to the present. "I was running full shifts as soon as I was up and on my feet" he added.

"Yeah, talk about favouritism" Jake said with a laugh.

Jared walked off in the same direction as the group and we got in my truck.

"Do you want to go?" Jake asked me as I started my truck and pulled out of the spot.

"Go where?" I asked.

"First Beach" he said.

"Of course, I love hanging with your friends" I said.

"I just don't want to make you hang out with them if you dot want to" he said.

"They're my friends now too and we all get along. I enjoy spending time with them. Better than hanging out with Jessica who was fake as hell and only wanted to talk about shopping and boys" I said.

"That's very true" he said.

I drove on listening to the radio when a thought came to me.

"What was up with Jared, he seemed distracted. Even at lunch he was weird" I asked.

"Oh, that… He imprinted the other day" Jake said.

"What? On who?" I asked, shocked that he just imprinted like that.

"Some girl. She's had the hots for him for months and he never even noticed her. She must have come back from holidays or something this week, sat next to him in class and BAM, he couldn't look away" Jake said.

"Wow, that's intense" I said. "So what happens now?" I asked.

"Well, he invited her to First Beach, Sam has given him permission to tell her everything" he said.

"Wow, he didn't give _you_ permission to tell _me_ anything when you first phased" I said, grumpily remembering Jakes torture and my idea to run away with him.

"Imprinting is different, remember me telling you about all the side effects?" he asked. I nodded.

"Well, she was saying today that she wasn't feeling well. She was cold and couldn't get warm. He needs to tell her" Jake said.

I suddenly felt sad for the girl. She had been crazy about him for all this time, and suddenly, because of some supernatural force, he finally noticed her back. I wasn't sure what would have been worse, not being noticed at all by the one you want, or having them only want you because they imprinted on you. I thought about this until we reached the beach, eventually deciding that it didn't really matter as long as they were happy in the long run.

I had a picnic blanket tucked under my seat which I grabbed as we got out of the truck.

We walked down to the sand and chose a nice-looking spot to sit. Pretty soon we were joined by the rest of the pack and a few others. Lexi had managed to invite herself and turned up with some girls who were all really shy.

I knew that life at this school would be far easier if I just invited Lexi to sit, so I urged Jake to hang with the guys and called Lexi over. She hesitantly headed to where I was and sat on the edge of the blanket.

"Look, I know you and Jake have some kind of history but I need you to know that I would like us to be friends" I said.

"Friends?" she asked.

"Sure, why not?" I asked. She seemed to contemplate this for a while before she said anything.

"Well, we never really were serious" she said with a small smile that I returned. I suddenly felt a ton better and was able to relax.

From then on, Lexi and I chatted about life and school and we soon discovered that we had a lot in common. Her parents were separated and she lived with her dad. She was an only child and had come to the area a couple of years ago, leaving her mum behind. She spoke of how she always struggled to make friends and thought that if she dated one of the 'cool' guys, she might have friends.

"Don't be silly" I said, "you don't need to date any particular guy to have friends, you just need to get to know people".

As I said this, I saw her turn and look around.

"Are you looking for someone?" I asked, with a smile.

"Well, I thought…. But never mind" she said.

"What is it?" I asked, curious.

"Well, I thought that Quil would be here" she said.

"You have a crush on Quil?" I asked.

"Shhhhhh!" she said as she glanced around, checking to see who heard.

We both laughed as I made a zipper motion over my lips.

"My lips are sealed… This is, unless you want me to say something to him for you?" I asked, keen to play match maker.

"I'll think about it" she said as we both gazed out at the water.

I looked over to where Jake was standing with Jared and Kim. Sam and Emily were nearby and I knew that they were there to offer support if it was needed. Kim was looking pretty intense but overall, I could tell she was taking it well.

After what felt like an eternity, Jared and Kim awkwardly held hands and headed over to where I sat with Lexi, followed by Jake, Sam and Emily. Jake stopped when he saw me sitting with Lexi and tilted his head to the side in a confused motion. I just grinned at him in response.

We all sat chatting, avoiding all things wolfy and supernatural when others were around, well into the afternoon.

By the time the sun started to set over the ocean, everyone had gone except for me and Jake. We remained sitting there in silence, just enjoying each other's company, not needing to fill the air with conversation. Every now and then, Jake kissed me on the side of my head, reaffirming deep within me that he loved me and only me, unconditionally and completely. I turned to face him, looking deep into his eyes, whispered "I love you" and kissed him. If this is what my life would be like for the rest of my days, it was all I would ever need. I would soon discover, however, that it was not going to be that simple.


	7. Chapter 7

The following day, school went by pretty quickly. Jake had done the whole night on patrol and as much as I told him to stay home and sleep, he still came to school. Lunch was the same as it had been the previous two days, except now Lexi sat with us, all signs of animosity gone. If I was honest, Lexi seemed like a really great girl. Her little crush on Quil was growing and he appeared to be noticing her back.

Jared and Kim were sitting side by side, appearing to get closer. Kim seemed overjoyed at this new development. I was just glad that once the hype died down, I would have someone to chat to. Emily was great, but it would be nice to have another person to talk to. I wasn't an imprint but what I had with Jake was as good as imprinting.

At the end of the school day, I drove Jake home with clear instructions to get some sleep. He obeyed, not that he had much choice once Billy found out. When I pulled into Jakes driveway, Sam was already there waiting for us. It was the first time that I had been shooed away from pack business and I was a little annoyed.

"Sorry Bella, but we really need to talk in private" Sam said, attempting politeness. It didn't come off so well, I think, because he was so used to barking orders at the pack, I was just like another one of the guys to him.

"Oh, yeah that's alright" I said to Sam, trying to hide my disappointment.

"I'll see you in the morning?" Jake said as Sam waited impatiently for him.

"Yeah, just make sure you get some sleep" I said, hoping he would do as I say.

"Yeah yeah..." he replied as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. I held on to him as though I might not see him again. To each other, we were everything. We had spent every possible second together and the idea of hours apart was not one that I was happy about.

I reached up on my toes and kissed him softly. It was enough to say, 'I'll miss you' but not enough to say, 'please stay with me'. I knew he needed rest. I turned and got into my truck, watching Jake and Sam talk in my rear vision mirror as I drove away.

I couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming. I didn't know what, but it felt like something big.

I spent the afternoon at home, taking care of the cleaning that I had neglected during the week and cooking a few meals to do Charlie on the days where I wasn't home.

As night approached, Charlie, who had finished work earlier than usual, was heading out the door.

"Where are you headed?" I asked, curious about his sudden strange behaviour.

"Just out" he replied.

"You don't ever go _just out_ " I said.

"Well, things are going to change" he said. "You're out and about with Jake all the time and it's about time I have a life of my own… Outside of work" he said.

"Dad, are you _dating_ someone?" I asked, suddenly noticing his attempt at being nicely dressed.

"That's…. That's none of your business" he said.

I stood in shock as he got into his car and drove away. I wondered about who he might possibly be dating and drew a blank. The few women who he worked with were all married and he didn't really have any women friends.

I took a shower and got into bed with a book I had to read for school. I had managed to get through three chapters before my eyes began to feel heavy, so I marked my page and put my book on the nightstand.

I checked my phone for word from Jake who I had instructed to go home for sleep after school. There was nothing, so I sent him a text,

 _B-J: Hey babe, I'm going to sleep. I miss you and will see you in the morning._

After I hit send, I turned off the light and closed my eyes. If I was honest, I was half expecting to wake up next to Jake in the morning but when my alarm went off in the morning, I was alone.

I shook off my disappointment and went about getting ready for my first Friday at my new school.

I was looking forward to the day and as I drove to school, I wondered what the weekend might entail. I wanted to do something exciting with Jake as our last weekend was pretty rotten. I was feeling the financial sting of not having a job, but Charlie was pretty good at giving me a bit of cash to get me through. I wondered if Jake had ever been to a nice restaurant and quickly brushed off the idea, as it was completely not even him.

I decided that it would be fun to drive out to Port Angeles or even Seattle and see some sights. Maybe get a hotel room and make a weekend of it.

When I got to school, Jake was in the far corner of the carpark huddled in a group with the pack. There was no one non-pack related there, which made it clear to me that it was pack business. As soon as my truck roared into the parking space next to Jakes, he turned and glanced at me, smiling, and appeared to end the conversation. The small group dispersed, heading to join the larger group of friends gathered closer to the school building and Jake headed towards where I was now getting out of my truck.

When he reached me, he picked me up and spun me around, planted me back on the ground and kissed me hard. It was such an amazing kiss that I dropped my bag on the ground and threw my arms around him. Our tongues went about their highly practised routine and our bodies melted into one. We just about tore the clothing off each other before remembering where we were and gradually pulled away.

"Wow, if that's the reception I get, I ought to make you go home more often" I said.

"I missed you" he said, still holding onto me as though I might run away if he let go.

"I missed you too" I said and kissed him gently.

"There's been some… developments… for us over the last 2 days" he said suddenly. My face dropped.

"What kind of developments?" I asked, knowing that it could only be bad news.

"Well, the night before last, I came across a fresh scent near the edge of the treaty line. I couldn't follow it because I couldn't be sure it wasn't one of _them_. If they were there, the treaty is back in place" he said. I was stunned, I didn't know what to say, so Jake continued.

"I spoke to Sam about crossing the line to follow the trail… and… it led to the Cullen's house" he said.

"The… Cullens?" I asked, shocked. Alice told me they weren't coming back.

'Yeah. I've just come off the late-night shift, which is why we were all talking over there. Keeping each other updated on what's happening. I couldn't make out who it was, but it's definitely one of them. There were lights on in the house" he said.

"So, what happens now?" I asked.

"Nothing, we just continue our patrols and make sure whoever it is doesn't come into our territory" he said.

"Should I go talk to whoever it is? See what they want?" I asked.

"No, definitely not. Don't worry about it Bells, we've got it covered" he said.

We walked into school, hand in hand and parted ways in the corridor to go to our classes. My first class went by quickly, although I couldn't stop wondering who it was that was back in town and what they wanted. The only one of them I would be interested in seeing was Alice, or maybe Carlisle. My mind drifted through out my next class as well, and it felt like forever before the lunch bell rang and I was able to see Jacob again.

On my way to the cafeteria, I ran into Kim, who wanted to stop for a chat.

"Hey Bella"

"Hey, how are you doing with everything?"

"I'm actually not that shocked to be honest. I'm a bit annoyed that he's going to be out so much but I'm looking forward to the bonfire tonight" she said.

"Bonfire?" I asked

"Yeah, hasn't anyone told you? I guess, it was only organised this morning" she said.

"Yeah, I guess, I haven't had much chance to talk to Jacob today" I said, as I glanced towards the cafeteria.

"Oh, right, yes. Well, I should be going then" she said with a smile and headed towards the same closet me and Jake hid in 2 days ago.

When I walked into the cafeteria, Jake was at the table with my lunch already waiting on a tray. I smiled as I walked towards him. I often questioned how I got so lucky. I didn't think much of myself, physically and knew people must look at us together and think he's far too good for me. I brushed off that feeling as I sat down next to him. He wrapped an arm around me and kissed the side of my head.

"Jared and Kim are headed for our closet" I said with a grin as I bit into my sandwich.

"Damn" he said. "That was my goal for lunch today" he continued.

"Well, we'll just have to find a nice place tonight after the bonfire" I said, hoping he would actually tell me.

"Oh, yeah I didn't tell you. There is a bonfire tonight to sort of welcome Kim and talk about the recent developments" he said. "I hope you didn't have plans".

"Just to spend time with you" I said as I planted a kiss on his lips.

"Maybe some alone time?" he asked with a cheeky grin.

"Definitely some alone time" I answered, feeling a sudden twinge down below.

We continued chatting about the weekend and I told Jake about my idea to go to Seattle. He was keen, but said that this weekend probably wouldn't work. I agreed.

"I knew what I signed up for when we got together Jake, this is who you are, it's your responsibility" I said.

"Doesn't mean we have to like it" he said.

"No, but we can live with it" I said. "Besides, we have our whole lives to go away together" I added.

Jake just smiled and kissed my cheek as I continued eating my lunch.

When the afternoon arrived, I headed home to get ready for the bonfire. I was about to start on dinner when Charlie came home early, again.

"You're home early" I said.

"And you're home… alone" he said.

"There's a bonfire tonight, so im just getting ready and going to head over to Jake's soon" I said.

"Right, well, don't make anything for me, I'm going out" Charlie said.

"Again?" I asked. "Last night must have gone well. Come to think of it, I didn't even hear you come home" I said.

"Well, a gentleman doesn't tell" he said and headed off up the stairs.

I left the kitchen and headed upstairs to get ready myself. I put on my nicest underwear and some butt hugging jeans as well as a nice top and a jacket. I contemplated leaving the jacket off, as Jacob was warm enough for us both, but thought better.

By the time I headed downstairs to leave, I heard voices in the kitchen. I listened carefully from the bottom of the stairs and recognised the second voice instantly. I tried to convince myself that it was anybody else but I knew my ears didn't deceive me. I walked into the kitchen and stopped when I saw her sitting at my kitchen table.

Tall with dark hair and her usual feather earrings she stood up and smiled warmly.

"Hey Bella, how are you today?" she asked.

"Miss Brown…" I said.

"Please, we're not in school, call me Linda"

"Uhh, I think I'd prefer to keep it a bit more formal, Miss Brown" I said as I looked from her to Charlie and back again.

"Bella, Linda and I are heading out to dinner tonight" Charlie said.

"Oh… Wait, is this who you were out with last night too?" I asked, finally putting the pieces together.

"well, yeah" he said.

"I'll give you some privacy… I'll be outside Charlie" she said and she headed for the front door.

"Dad…. she's my headmaster" I said, not sure of what else I could possibly say.

"Well, Bells, you're graduating soon… and we really get along" he said.

I stood there for a few moments wondering what harm could come from my dad dating Miss Brown and I finally concluded that it didn't actually matter. I was graduating in just a couple of months and who was I to get in the way of my dad's happiness?

"Alright…" I said. "Just… I'm not sure I'm ready to be a sister just yet" I added, thinking back to the conversation we had when we spoke about mine and Jake's relationship.

Charlie just laughed.

"I'll see you tomorrow then?" he asked.

"Sure dad, I'll probably stay at Jakes" I said.

"Good, that's good" he replied. I was suddenly aware that he might have been hinting at the desire to have the house to himself.

"Right. Well. I'll be gong then" I said awkwardly as I headed out the door.

I said goodbye to Miss Brown and got into my truck, bringing it to life with a roar. She startled as I did so, obviously not used to loud engines. I left the house wondering what the future held for Charlie. As long as he was happy, I was happy for him.

Once again, my thoughts had run away with me and I was at Jakes before I knew it.

I arrived in time to see Jake in his wolf form emerging from the tree line. He was enormous. I hadn't seen his wolf form for a few weeks and I had forgotten how intense it was.

The Jake-wolf headed towards me, faster than I would have expected, although he seemed to be putting very little effort into it.

"Hey Jake" I said as he approached me. He was the size of my truck. He nuzzled me and emitted a low growling sound from somewhere inside his chest as I stroked his soft fur. I stroked his face as I looked into his eyes, making sure I was certain it was him. There was no mistaking those eyes.

I was suddenly completely aware of how close we were to the road and moved to go behind the house.

"You might be seen" I said. He just shook his head, his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth. I walked around to the back of Jakes house where there was a table and chairs, and sat down. Jake sat at my side and was still taller than me. I wondered why he hadn't phased back yet.

"You not phasing back?" I asked. He just shook his big head and raised his left paw as though looking at an invisible watch.

"You're waiting for something?" I asked.

He nodded.

"So, what do we do till then?" I asked, knowing that he couldn't speak but asked anyway. He put his nose between my hand and the arm of the chair I was sitting in and I giggled just a little. I began stroking his nose and his ears and his eyes shut in enjoyment.

"This is definitely strange" I said. He looked worried, his eyes glassed over and he attempted to retreat away. "It's good though" I said quickly, hoping that he wasn't offended and continued stroking his fur.

"So you'll never guess where Charlie's going tonight" I said. His ears pricked up. "On a date" I continued. "With Miss Brown".

Jake gave a little cough that I assumed was his wolfy attempt at a laugh.

"I know, weird, yes?" I said. He nodded.

"So, I'm not sure if I should feel weird about this or just go along with it. I do want him to be happy but at the same time, she's my headmaster now. It just feels weird... But, I'm also graduating soon, so there's that" I continued, feeling slightly odd having a one-way conversation.

I continued stroking him for a while wondering what it was he was waiting for.

"So, I'm excited for the bonfire tonight" I said, trying to fill the silence in the air. "Hopefully afterwards we can have some alone time… you know". I was suddenly filled with strange confidence that I didn't usually have. It might have been because he couldn't talk back but I suddenly felt the words tumbling out of my mouth faster than ever before.

He nodded, a little too fast and I giggled.

"I did really enjoy it… even though it wasn't exactly planned, but I think it was better that way. I'm definitely hopeful to do it again… and soon" I said, no hesitation in my words at all.

"In fact, if you didn't have something to be doing right now, I'd suggest we go inside… right… now". I said as I stroked him down his long body.

He made a whining noise as I did this and at first, I thought I was doing the wrong thing, but I quickly realised it was all the right things, he was just disappointed that we had to sit and wait… for what, I still had no idea.

It was an interesting time, sitting out the back with Jacob in his wolf form. I couldn't say that I had ever thought of hanging out with him in this way, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing either.

We sat there chatting, well, I did most of the talking, he just nodded and pricked his ears at the appropriate times until I heard a faint howl in the distance.

When the howl erupted, Jake jumped up, quicker than I had ever seen any creature move, and headed to the trees. I sat there dumbfounded for a moment before thinking that I should probably get up and say hi to Billy.

I opened the front door of the house and headed inside to find Billy watching tv.

"Hey Bella, how's things?" he asked.

"Yeah good, Jake's just… on a mission" I said, not really too sure what else to say.

"Yeah, he's on reserve for the pack. Good to know that he has his mind in the right place" he said.

"Oh absolutely. He has huge responsibilities. I really admire his devotion" I said. "So, are you coming to the bonfire tonight?" I asked.

"Sure am" he said, not looking away from the tv.

I took this as a hint to stop talking with him and headed to Jakes room. When I got there, I saw that it was a mess. The small size made even the tiniest bit of clutter look messy. I quickly tidied but stopped, wondering if I was _that_ girlfriend… I decided that I definitely wasn't and just sat on his bed, reading a book that was on his nightstand.

Half an hour went by before I heard the front door open.

"Hey dad, is Bella in here?" came Jakes voice.

"Yeah, she is in your room" he said.

"Thanks, and we're heading to the Clearwater's soon for the meeting. Do you need a ride?" I heard Jake ask.

"It's aright son, I'm getting picked up any minute" I heard Billy's voice say.

A second went by before a shirtless and sexy as fuck Jacob appeared in the doorway.

"Hi there" I said.

"Hi there yourself" he said as he sat on the bed beside me. "What you reading?" he asked.

"Shakespeare" I said, turning the book over.

Jakes face turned into a disgusted grimace and he let out a sigh.

"Don't you like it?" I asked.

"I'm not really an academic Bells, Shakespeare isn't my thing" he said as he took the book from my hand and put it on the nightstand.

"My ride's here Jacob, I will see you soon" Billy called from the living room.

"Ok" Jake called back. I heard the front door shut and suddenly realised we were alone. Jakes hands softly held each side of my face as he looked into my eyes. He was so intense but I didn't mind it. It was actually quite thrilling to see the passion and love he had for me in his gaze alone.

"I love you so much" he whispered.

"I love you too Jake… Is everything ok?" I asked, suddenly confused by this sudden act of love.

"Everything is perfect" he said before he kissed me gently on the lips.

My mind succumbed to his passion and I was kissing him back before I knew it. Our hands were once again exploring the territory of one another's body and I was certain that his body now belonged to me and mine to him. I scooted down on the bed so that I was laying more horizontally and Jake followed suit. He was hovering over the top of me, kissing me with renewed passion. I guessed that this was in response to our one-way conversation just before when I told him that I wanted him again, in this way.

In between kissing him, I reached down and pulled my shirt off over my head. Jake responded by running a hand down my chest, over my lacy bra and down my midriff. I shuddered with excitement as he gently and slowly brushed his warm hands all over the soft skin of my body.

Once again, I reached down, this time to unbutton his pants. He grabbed my hands, pulled them back and planted them either side of my head. I wondered what he was doing till his hands reached down and began to unbutton my pants. He had stopped kissing me and was now completely removing my jeans from my legs, kissing every inch as he went. I was suddenly really grateful that I had a shower and shaved my legs before I left.

As he ran his hands up my inner thigh, towards where my underwear remained, my body shook once again with excitement. He hooked his thumb under the sides on my panties and very slowly pulled them down. I was now so excited, I was panting.

Jacob was now kissing the sensitive skin on my inner thighs and moving slowly higher. When he reached the apex of my thighs, he brushed his nose over my slit. This made me squirm involuntarily and when I looked down, he smiled.

He was now positioned between my legs, running a finger up and down my wetness. It only made me convulse more as he brushed up against my sensitive spot.

Without warning, I felt his warm breath, followed by his hot tongue travel the length of my slit. He stopped when he reached the sensitive little nub and licked it oh so slowly. My back arched and he inserted a finger inside of me. I moaned with pleasure as he continued his sweet assault and when I felt my body climb that sweet hill of ecstasy, I moaned again, only louder. My whole body shook as one orgasm after another took hold. Jake gradually slowed and let my body relax for a moment before taking his own pants off and locating a condom in his bedside drawer.

He swiftly rolled the condom over his throbbing erection and repositioned himself above me once again. I didn't care that he had my juices all over his face, I was desperate to kiss him, to feel his love for me in that way. He was kissing me back, so passionately and I almost didn't feel it when he gently slid himself into me. I winced but didn't break the kiss. He remained still for a moment to let me get used to the feeling of him. I was still kissing him and running my hands all over his muscular body. He began to move and although it was slightly painful, it wasn't as bad this time.

We moved together for a while, taking in the pleasure of the closeness. It was more than physically pleasurable, it was emotional and psychological. This connection we were solidifying through this act of love. I revelled in the feelings that I was experiencing before I felt his pace quicken. His breath grew fast we and he stopped kissing me. I felt his body go rigid as he gave his final thrusts and he let out a groan as he came undone.

We laid there in perfect silence for a minute or two before he withdrew himself from me and laid on his side next to me. I kissed him softly, letting him know how much I loved him in this moment.

Jake removed the condom and threw it in the bin next to his door before getting up and locating both of our pants. We dressed and headed for the door, knowing that we were already late.

Jake stopped me in the hallway, pinning me against the wall.

"Fucking hell Bella, I love you so much" he said.

"I love you too Jake" I answered before I reached up and kissed him.

After a quick trip to the bathroom to clean up, we got into Jake's car and headed to the Clearwater's place for the tribal meeting. The bonfire was raging and the tribal members were starting to gather around.

As we got out of the car, Quil came rushing over.

"Hey Jake, Bella, what took you's so long?" he asked.

"Car troubles" Jake lied. I had no doubt that all the members of the pack would know once they were all phased and could see into his mind.

Once Quil headed back over to take his seat around the fire I asked Jake the burning question.

"When you're in your wolf form, can the others pick through your mind at will?" I asked.

"They can only see what I'm thinking at any moment" he responded.

"So, they won't know about our… _activities_ unless you think about them while you're in your wolf form?" I asked.

"That's right" he said. "Well, it is difficult to keep it from my mind, especially when its quiet so sometimes I have flashes of memories" he said.

"Oh" was all I could say.

"Sometimes I see Sam and Emily… in …. Awkward situations. We just learnt to ignore it" he said.

"And you think the rest of the pack can just ignore it?" I asked.

"They won't make it awkward. Let's just say that. There's an unspoken agreement that personal lives are personal and anything we stumble upon is sacred" he said. "Like, I could tell you about everything that happened between Jared and Kim at lunch, but I wouldn't because its sacred" he said.

"That eases my mind I suppose…. Still, it's a bit awkward knowing that they know every bit of my personal life" I said.

"Bells, if there was anything for you to be ashamed of, I'd tell you, but you're amazing, _we're_ amazing. Besides, they've only seen split second flashes. I'm pretty skilled at containing myself" he said as we found a place around the fire near the tribal elders.

"Wait, Jake, shouldn't we sit with the rest of the pack?" I asked.

"Bella, I'm ranked higher than the rest of them. This is my… our… place" he said.

We sat down, waiting for the stories to begin. I looked around and saw Seth on the opposite side of the fire next to an older girl.

"What's Seth doing here?" I asked, confused.

"He phased today, with as well as his sister Leah" he said.

"Leah too? But she's…." I said, confused. I thought it was only guys who transformed.

"I know, it hasn't happened before" he said.

Before I could respond, the most senior of the elders began speaking. He began with a welcome to the land, followed by acknowledgements of the newest members, followed by the pack members, unphased members of the tribe, then imprintees and partners.

He then went on to tell us story after story about the cold ones and the ancient shape shifters and after a couple of hours of talking, the meeting was over. I was completely blown away by the stories and histories.

I sat by the fire long after most of the others had moved away, thinking about the impact that vampires had on these people. Jacob had gotten up to talk to Seth, who was only 15 years old. In my opinion, he was far too young to be troubled by this life.

Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice Leah had sat down beside me.

"Hey" she said.

"Oh, Leah, right?" I said.

"yep" she said, radiating anger and frustration.

"How are you?" I asked.

"Well, this morning I turned into a giant grey wolf, but other than that I'm great" she said.

"I bet that was scary?" I asked, "How are you feeling about it all?" I added.

"Wh… No one has actually asked me about how I feel. It took me forever to turn back and after I did it was all ' _responsibility'_ this and ' _commitment'_ that… I'm just so angry" she said.

I suddenly felt really bad for her.

"I bet you're angry. It can't be easy" I said.

"The worst part is, the whole time, I just had Sam in my head" she said.

"Yeah, I can imagine that would be really difficult for you" I said.

"It is" she said. I saw a tear in her eye and as soon as it appeared, she whisked it away. I could tell that Leah was ordinarily a very stubborn and strong person. Losing control like that must be so hard for her.

We sat in silence for a minute just staring into the fire.

"And I can't believe Seth… He's just too young!" she blurted out.

"I agree! It's not fair" I said.

"This is all so wrong" she said.

I just nodded my head, not knowing how to respond anymore. She clearly needed someone to vent to that wasn't one of the guys. It just felt really strange that we hadn't met before and she was suddenly telling me all of her worries. I decided it was because I was like one of them, I was part of the pack, so to speak.

"I'm finding it awkward that everyone knows what me and Jake get up to" I said.

"Yeah, well that's a real hoot too, knowing everyone's business. Jake's real secretive though, he's barely let anything slip" she said.

"Well, that makes me feel better" I said.

"It was good chatting to you Bella, we might do it again some time" she said as she stood up and walked away. It was partially because Sam was now making his way to where I now sat alone.

There was so much tension there, but given the history between the two, I wasn't surprised.

"Bella" he said as he approached. Sam seemed friendly but it was difficult to discern between authoritarian Sam and general day to day Sam.

"Hi Sam" I said, hoping that this was going to be a friendly chat.

"What were you and Leah talking about?" he asked, his voice a little harsh.

His question threw me. Like, he was demanding to know what Leah had said to me.

"Sam, with all due respect, I'm not one of your wolves you can order around. If the conversation between Leah and I was important enough for me to tell you about, I would" I said, finding some assertiveness deep down inside of myself.

"I… I'm sorry Bella. It's just so hard trying to get through to her. She's so closed off. I saw you two sitting here and it seemed like she was opening up to you" he said.

"She was. Sam, you have no idea how difficult this is… and will continue to be, for her. Hasn't she suffered enough? Can't you just let her off the hook?" I asked.

"It's not that simple. There are now more vampires in the area. Our pack needs to expand to keep everyone protected. That is what triggered her change. They're coming closer every day" he said. At this, my mouth dropped open and I felt a cold wind rip through my jacket.

"Wha… What does this mean? Who is it? Why are they here?" I asked anxiety plaguing my mind.

"We don't know. We haven't even seen who it is or been able to speak to them to know what they want. They're coming closer during the day when most of the guys are at school" he said.

I put my hands in my lap and put my head in my hands. I didn't want anything to do with vampires. I didn't want to see them or hear them or be anywhere near them. I hated Edward for what he did to me, for what they all did to the kids around here. If it wasn't for them, Jake and the others could be leading ordinary teenage lives. Sitting around a fire talking about girls and cars instead of talking about how to keep everybody safe.

"I need a drink" I said as I got to my feet.

Sam just stood there watching as I walked away. I doubt he knew why this was such a big deal for me. The fact was, I was so sensitive to the vampires' luring abilities, I was afraid of who might be nearby and why. I was also afraid of how I might react if I were to come face to face with one of them. Could I resist? I certainly hoped so.

I walked around to the front of the house and entered the front door, making my way to the kitchen. I felt safe here, knowing how many wolves were around. I grabbed a drink from the fridge and headed to the door, desperate to be by Jake's side again. I was feeling cold and knew that it was only a coldness that could be warmed by Jake. As I opened the front door, my heart just about stopped when I saw who was standing on the other side of it.

I couldn't speak, I couldn't move, I could barely breathe. Before I knew it, I had been picked up and was being carried away over the cold hard shoulder of a vampire. Edward.

He was running so fast, we were at least a mile away before I could open my mouth to scream. I yelled as loud as I could, calling for Jacob. Even if he could hear me, there was no way he could catch up. It seemed Edward had only gotten faster in the months since I saw him last, if that's possible. Before I knew it, I was being thrusted into his silver Volvo and he was driving away.

My breathing was so fast now, I was certain that I would pass out.

"Relax Bella, its ok, you're safe" he said.

"What? Edward, what are you doing?" Was all I could say.

"I've come back for you, I've rescued you" he said as he reached over and put his hand on mine. The coldness was shocking and I yanked my hand away faster than I thought possible and wrapped my arms around myself.

"I don't need rescuing… and I don't need you to come back for me. I'm with Jacob now" I spat, wondering if vampires could lose their minds.

"No, Bella you don't understand. They've brainwashed you. I'm here to help you get away from all of that" he said. He was officially crazy.

"Edward, just stop the car, let me out, I want to go back" I said.

"I'm sorry Bella, this is for your own good" he said as he drove out of Forks.

I shifted in my seat, feeling my phone I my back pocket. I doubted there would be a way to get it out and call Jake without Edward seeing, so I decided to wait for an opportunity later.

As Edward drove on, I found myself wondering how he was able to get to me. The moment, I realised, was perfect. The door to the Clearwater's was in the dark, around the other side of the house. The fire was loud and everyone was talking. There was food cooking on the barbeque and everyone was distracted by the stories. No one would have seen, heard or smelt anything. Edward had used the weak spots in the wolves' senses to kidnap me right from underneath their noses.

I brought my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around myself. I was freezing. I could feel the cold radiating off the creature that sat beside me. I was disgusted. I wondered how I ever thought I loved this… _thing_.

I put my head to the side and looked out the window, wondering where we were. I couldn't make out anything outside of the dark windows other than trees. I had no idea where he was taking me. All I knew is that it was away from La Push, away from Forks and away from Jake.


	8. Chapter 8

**JACOB BLACK POV**

I was talking to Seth, but keeping a close watch on Bella as much as I could. I knew she was safe here, around the fire surrounded by us wolves, but I couldn't help but feel protective of her.

I watched as Bella sat talking to Leah, her face full of pain and empathy for Leah's situation. If anyone was going to feel for Leah, I was certain it would be Bella.

"So, I'm thinking that I will do school part time, you know, like you guys want to do. I really want to be the best I can be at this wolf thing" Seth was saying excitedly.

"Seth, look, its early days yet, we've got it under control, you just need to focus on learning to phase back and forth at will, first" I said.

"Yeah, I know. I'm just so excited, you know. I always knew there was something different, like I was meant for a bigger purpose, you know? Then this happened and it all made sense. You guys have been so secretive and closed off, I just knew something was up" he said. I could feel the youth and innocence radiating off him and I was worried about what this might mean if it came to a fight. He would be unpredictable and perhaps more of a burden and a liability than a great help.

I glanced over to Bella and saw Leah get up to leave as Sam walked over to her. Leah was heading towards us and Bella was now looking to Sam, questioningly. I loved how her face always gave away what she was thinking. I loved every part about her.

I allowed myself to get carried away by everything I loved about Bella when Leah nudged me with her shoulder, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"You thinking about something special Jakey?" she asked.

"Got to do it while I have no one invading my thoughts" I said, jokingly nudging her back.

"She's good for you Jake" Leah said.

"That she is" I agreed.

"Remember when you came to me that time? You were so lost, you were so in love with her, you just couldn't stand it" she said.

"Yeah, well, I needed advice. What can I say?" I said. It was true, at the height of my pre-phase obsession with Bella, the day that Bella invited me to the movies.

"Well, it worked, didn't it?" she asked.

"Well, no. She was still so hung up on the leech, she said she wanted me around, but just as her friend. Then I went home and that's when I phased for the first time. Everything just went out the window at that point" I said.

"Right. But you're together now…" she said, confused.

"Well, what can I say, I have the charm" I said, as I looked over to where, just moments before, I had seen Bella talking to Sam.

Sam was walking away from the fire, heading to where Emily was in deep discussion with Sue, Leah and Seth's mum. I looked around the yard, amongst the people who were gathered in small groups, wondering where Bella might have gone.

I saw Jared and Kim talking with Paul so I left Leah and Seth and headed towards them, thinking that Bella might be just concealed behind them.

"Hey Jake" Jared said as I approached.

"Hey, guys, has anyone seen Bella? I asked.

"She was just over there talking to Leah" Kim said.

"Yeah, then she was talking to Sam. Any ideas what they might have been chatting about?" I asked Paul. He just shrugged.

I figured at this point that Bella might have gone inside, so I headed to the side entrance of the house and made my way inside. There was no sign of Bella so I returned outside to where Sam was now talking to Sue.

"… which is why its so important to have Leah on our side, Sue" he was saying. "Oh Jake, I was just telling Sue about the importance of having Leah as part of our pack" he said.

"Oh yeah, its absolutely going to be a big help" I said. "Sam, do you know were Bella is?" I asked.

"She went inside for a drink" he said.

"Hmm, I just went in there and she wasn't there" I said, starting to worry.

"Maybe she was in the toilet?" he said, brushing off any concern.

"Nah, I checked there too" I said.

Sam looked around the people in the yard, scanning every group, must the same as I had already done.

"Surely she can't have gone far" he said, as he turned back to Sue and Emily.

"Yeah, thanks" I said, angrily.

I headed back over to where Seth and Leah were still talking.

"Have you guys seen Bella?" I asked.

"She was talking to Sam and then went around the front, I guess to go inside. That was about 5 minutes ago when we were talking" Seth said.

"I just checked, she wasn't inside" I said.

I walked over towards the front of the house hoping that Bella was just out there having some quiet time.

As soon as I neared the front of the house, the overwhelming stench of leech hit me in the face like a truck. My body shook and it took every ounce of my self control not to explode into my wolf form.

I ran out onto the street looking for any sign of the intruder but there was none. The only thing I knew was that there had been a vampire here in the last few minutes.

I ran as fast as I could around to where Sam was now cosying up with Emily by themselves.

"What is it Jacob?" Sam asked irritated.

"There has been a vampire out the front" I said, completely aware that I was only a second away from bursting into my wolf form at any moment.

Sam jumped up, leaving Emily stunned at his speed. He joined me in heading back around the front of the house. On the way, he called to Jared and Paul who joined us immediately.

"What's going…" Jared began, but stopped as soon as he felt the same burning sensation in his nostrils as we all did. "…holy fuck, what the hell?" he continued.

"Bella was here too" Paul said.

"She was going for a drink" Sam said. "There's heaps of us around, how did we not notice a vampire?" he asked.

"We were all kind of busy" said Quil who had joined us when he saw us running off.

"Plus the barbeque would have dulled our senses to it" Jared added.

"FUCK!" I yelled in frustration. "Whoever it is, has Bella, I just know it" I said.

"We don't know that for sure" Sam said.

"Well where the fuck is she, Sam?" I spat.

"I'll follow it" Paul said and he set off up the street following the combined Bella and vampire scent.

My mind was a blur, I couldn't think properly. It was taking every ounce of my self-control to remain in my human form.

"Don't worry Jake, we'll find her, Paul has excellent tracking abilities" he said.

I was now pacing up and down the driveway waiting for Paul to return. When I heard his howl, I ripped off my clothes as fast as I could, discarding them on the driveway. I was running on two feet faster than I had ever run before As I finally allowed my body to relax, I felt the shiver run up my spine and I phased perfectly between strides. I was on four legs before I took another step and immediately heard Paul's wolf voice in my head.

 _"Jake, the scent ends here. There was a car"_

 _"What kind of car?"_

 _"I don't know, but they took off fast, I can smell the rubber"_

I caught up to where Paul was and we paced around the road, trying to figure out what to do.

Sam was suddenly in my head, followed quickly by Jared and Quil.

" _What is it_?" Sam asked.

 _"A car, took off fast_ " Paul said.

" _How recent_?" Sam asked.

" _Only a few minutes I'm guessing. Its fresh and the scent is strong_ " Paul said.

Jared and Quil came to where the markings were on the road and scratched them with their paws, sniffing intensely.

" _We'll follow it_ " Jared said, looking to Quil.

" _Don't get seen_ " Sam ordered. It was order that they would not disobey and my thoughts betrayed me, wondering how on earth they would avoid being seen if the car had gone through the town.

" _We'll be fine_ " Jared said as he and Quil took off.

I paced back and forth along the roadway before Sam ordered me back to the house. I couldn't disobey the order, as much as I wanted to find Bella myself.

When I got back to the driveway of the house, I phased back to allow myself the chance to think without being listened to. It was a hard decision because I wanted to be connected to Quil and Jared, but I knew I needed to think.

I was so pissed that Sam let Bella go off into the dark around the front of the house by herself, but at the same time, I'm not sure I would have done anything differently. We thought we were safe here. We thought _she_ would be safe here. None of us had any idea that it was her they were after. I put my clothes back on and headed back to the back yard to where the fire was crackling away. I sat down and hung my head in my hands.

I felt the log move beside me and looked up to see Leah sitting next to me.

"They'll find her Jake" she said.

"How can you be sure?" I asked.

"Because they _have_ to. It will kill you if they don't and we can't have that" she said.

"They could be _anywhere_ by now" I said, tears pricking my eyes. I hadn't cried in years but now it felt like I was bursting at the seams.

Leah handed me a drink and I took a sip. It was warm but it helped. I drank the whole thing, hoping it would settle me a bit. I doubted anything could stop me feeling this way.

"I failed her, Leah" I said.

"How?"

"I told her I would keep her safe. I told her I wouldn't let anything hurt her"

"Maybe… Maybe she just went for a drive with whoever it was? Wasn't she close with the seer?" Leah asked.

"Leah, I'm almost certain it was her ex. I know his scent. He was here" I said, finally admitting out loud what I felt when I first came across the scent.

"Well… maybe she wanted to… I don't know, close a chapter of her life or something?" she asked.

"Hmm, yeah… maybe" I said, trying to just shut her up. I knew she wouldn't go with him willingly.

After a few minutes staring into the fire, I couldn't sit here any longer. I obeyed Sam's order to go back to the house and technically I obeyed his order. He didn't stipulate how long I had to stay there. I snuck off into the trees and removed my clothes again, tying my pants to my ankle. I phased perfectly and silently and took off in the direction of the Cullen house.

I couldn't be sure that he would take her there but I had to start somewhere. I whisked through the trees at lightning speed, dodging every obstacle as I went. I was as quiet as the wind, barely making a sound with my huge paws.

I could hear Quil and Jared's communication in my mind and attempted to shut off my own thoughts.

" _Jake, what are you doing_?" they asked.

" _I need to check out the house_ " I answered. " _Any sign of them_?" I asked.

" _The scent goes through the town but were circling around to see if we can pick it up somewhere_ " Jared answered.

" _I don't think it leads to the Cullen house Jake_ " Quil said.

 _"No, he's not that stupid. I'm just looking for clues_ " I said as the lights of the house came into view through the trees. I slowed as I neared the edge of the forest, hoping that I wouldn't be seen. I sniffed the air and was grateful that the wind was going against me. At least if there was a vampire here, my scent wouldn't carry to the house. I sat and waited for a sign of movement. I could hear the inner voices of the other wolves in my mind but I blocked it all out.

Time was not something I had a grasp on as a wolf, but it felt like I had been sitting here for the longest time. With no sign of movement, I crept down the embankment, towards the front of the house. I suddenly realised the disadvantage I had in my wolf form when I attempted to open the front door. I phased back and dressed quickly before turning the door handle. It was unlocked, which made me hesitate, wondering if someone was here. I listened hard for a moment before stepping inside. The overpowering stench of vampires filled my nostrils and made my head spin.

I knew I had to keep moving forward so I crept further into the house, looking for any sign of where he might have taken her. The house was completely empty, not a hint of a vampire anywhere nearby. I followed the strongest scents around the house and found myself in a room that, ordinarily, may have been a bedroom. One wall was lined with shelves that were full of all kinds of books that I wouldn't read in a hundred years, the other wall was completely glass. There was a reclining chair in one corner and a few bits and pieces of furniture scattered around.

I inhaled and knew that this was the same scent that had been at the Clearwaters' house. The same scent that had Bella, the same scent that I recognised as Edward's. I picked up the nearest object and threw it hard against the huge glass windows. They shattered into a million tiny blocks of glass. Typical of them to have installed safety glass. I walked out of the room, trying my hardest to think of where he may have taken her.

There were no clues, no hints, nothing that could lead me to Bella. I was suddenly so overcome by fear and worry that I fell into a heap on the floor. I didn't cry, my body wouldn't allow it. I just sat there for a few moments trying to gather my thoughts.

As I got up, I felt something slip out of my pocket and tumble onto the floor. It was my phone. It had somehow survived the trip tied to my ankle. I pulled it out and unlocked it, wondering if Bella had hers with her. I thought about calling her but stopped before pressing the call button. If she had her phone and it rang, he might hear it and dispose of it.

I just stared at the screen, hoping for an answer but none came. I had no idea what to do. I shoved my phone back in my pocket and headed for the door.

I ran back to the Clearwater's place in my human form, not wanting to hear the news that I already knew. He had taken her out of town. I could feel it.

It wasn't long before I arrived in the backyard. Most of the people had left and the fire was a small smouldering mound of charred wood. Sam, who was sitting with Emily and Paul, looked up as I approached.

"Do you know how dangerous it was of you to go there?" he demanded.

"I had to check" was all I could say.

"And?" he asked, a bit softer.

"Nothing" I said.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and stared at it again, hoping that it would just ring or buzz or do something.

"The scent continued out on the main highway, out of town. I told the guys to come back" Sam said. I just nodded.

"Hang on" Emily said. "Jake, do you think Bella has her phone with her?" she asked.

"I think so, she had it before the fire" I said.

She held her hand out for my phone and I handed it to her.

"If you call her, it might ring and he will hear it" I said.

"No, not that… I installed an app on her phone so she could track you when you were out weeks ago. If I can install it on yours, it might work in reverse" she said.

I was a little stunned that Bella had the ability to track me and hadn't told me, but at the same time, relieved that this might be the answer we needed. Emily was tapping away madly on my phone and within minutes, a map appeared.

"There" she said. "She's at the Olympic Lodge Hotel in Port Angeles" she said. I grabbed her face and kissed her cheek as I took my phone from her and headed in the direction of the front yard.

"Jake! Wait". It was an order by Sam. I couldn't disobey so I stood on the spot. Anger radiating off of my body. "I'm coming with you" he said.

"So am I" came Paul's voice.

"Me too" Embry said.

I grabbed my key from my pocket and jumped in my car. The guys barely fit in the back of the small vehicle. I started the engine and reversed out the driveway, spinning the wheels as I turned the car around.

"Take it easy Jake" Sam said.

I looked to him and he had a smile on his face. Given any other situation, we were just a few guys going to a joy ride.

I rammed the car into first gear and it took off down the road with surprising speed. I hadn't felt the need to drive it like this in a while, so I forgot what it could do. I was feeling quite proud of my mechanical abilities as I cruised through the gears with ease. Before I knew it, we were on the highway, travelling at 100 miles [ **160km** ] per hour. I hadn't driven the car this fast since I overhauled the engine, and despite my faith in my abilities as a mechanic, I just held on and hoped that it wouldn't die on me.

"Yo Jake" Embry called from the back seat, "have you thought about being a race car driver?" he asked as I weaved in and out of traffic.

"Not really" I said, concentrating on staying in the lines.

It was pretty quiet on the road but every now and then I had to swerve around cars that were just going too slow.

It felt like forever before I saw the lights of Port Angeles.

I handed my phone to Sam who opened the app that Emily installed.

"She's still there" he said. He directed me through the city and before long we were outside the hotel where the small blue blip was leading us to.

I looked around the carpark and saw a shiny silver Volvo and knew immediately that it was his. I reached into the glove box and pulled out a pocket knife that I had stashed away.

"Wait here" I said to the guys as I got out and crept over to the car. I jabbed the knife deep down inside every tyre before quickly returning to the car.

I took my phone off Sam and opened the app again. I used two fingers to zoom in and saw that the blip was at the far corner of the building.

"Let's go" I said, surprised that Sam was allowing me to take the lead. I looked at him and he nodded, indicating that he was with me.

We headed towards the door of the hotel and I pulled it open for us to walk through. I approached the woman at the desk who blushed when she saw us walking towards her. Especially considering I wasn't wearing a shirt. Usually I hated being the centre of attention but tonight, I needed to charm her.

"Hi there…" I glanced down at her name badge and with the swift motion of one hand, swept the hair away and over her shoulder, "…Stacey" I said.

"Good evening, how may I be of assistance today?" she asked, blushing deeper.

"We're thinking of having a bachelor party here in the next few weeks and just wanted to have a bit of a look around if that's ok? Maybe you could show my friend Embry one of the rooms?" I said with a raised eye brow towards Embry.

I noticed that Paul had disappeared.

Stacey went redder before speaking again.

"Sure, I can show you guys around" she said.

She walked us through the lobby and into the function room.

"We have capacity for a hundred. Do you have a wedding venue yet?" she asked, looking to the three of us in turn.

I looked to Sam, "Sam?"

"Well, yeah I think we do, but I can always tell my fiancé that there is one available" he said, making it up as we went.

Stacey continued showing us around the general areas and it wasn't long before I grew frustrated.

"How about the rooms?" I asked, trying to hide my impatience.

"Sure, I'll show you our suites first" she said.

"That would be great" I said.

She walked us to the stairs and the sudden scent of vampire and Bella overwhelmed me. I turned to Sam and Embry who had their noses screwed up, a sign that they smelt it too. I was suddenly aware that we were walking into a battle with a human in tow.

Stacey led us to to a room that followed the scent.

"I can't show you to our biggest room because its currently occupied by the cutest couple, so handsome he was. But this is our second best" she said. At her words, my blood boiled. What must he be doing to make her think they're a couple?

I glanced down the hall and saw the toes of, who I could only assume were Paul, sticking out from behind a cupboard. He had already made his way up here.

Stacey showed us around the room, casually flirting as she did. I nudged Embry in hopes that he could turn on the charm and he gleefully obliged.

As Embry and Sam entertained the hostess, I ducked out and headed to where Paul was hiding at the end of the hall.

"Have you heard anything?" I asked in a whisper.

"Not yet, but she's definitely in there" he said.

I got out my phone and looked at the app. The blue dot was so close to us we were practically on top of it.

As Paul and I stood there trying to figure out how to bust in, Stacey came out of the room, followed by Sam and Embry.

"Ok, I'll do it, but I could lose my job over this" she said.

"Look, we don't have much time, that girl was taken against her will and if we need to call the police, there will be more than just your job on the line" came Sam's authoritarian voice.

Stacey shakily handed Sam a card and took off down the hall.

"What did you say?" I asked him in a whisper.

"I just told her that this was all bullshit and I needed to get into that room" he said.

"Riiiight" Paul said.

"Shhh" I said. "I bet he has already heard us and is preparing to throw her out the window or something" I said.

Sam swiped the card in the door and the red light turned to green. I grabbed the handle and pushed the door open so fast that I thought it might come off its hinges.

The four of us burst in and looked around. There was no sign of anyone at all.

"The window" Paul said, and he headed straight for it, jumping out in one swift motion. Embry and Sam followed but I stayed, feeling in my gut that Bella was still here. I walked through the rooms, looking in the closets and under the beds. The last place I checked was the bathroom, which is where I found Bella, huddled in the corner of the over sized bathtub, in a ball, shaking from head to toe.

 **AN: A quicky but a goody. Its all coming together for a big finale in the next few chapters.**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: So.. This is the last chapter. I had planned to do more but the story sort of just came together for a good ending. I do hope that it is a worthy finish for you all. Thanks to those who have reviewed and read the whole way through. I have really enjoyed writing this fan fic and hope to start another soon. Or maybe a sequal, I'm not sure.**

 **BELLA SWAN POV**

I was sitting at the table in the room of the motel that Edward had pulled up at. In the lobby, there had been signs, boasting about being the best in the area. Of course he chose it. How predictable.

I had stopped asking what Edward wanted long ago. He drove us here only speaking to tell me that he was trying to _help_ me and that I was _brainwashed_ by the dangerous wolves. I argued that he was the dangerous one, that he had even admitted in the past to his desire to rip out my throat. He merely answered by saying he loved me and that everything would be ok.

Of course, I knew it wouldn't be ok. I was at a strange hotel with no way of getting in contact with Jake. Edward had noticed my phone when I attempted to slyly call Jake in the lobby. He took it from me and it now sat on the kitchen bench.

I wondered what the receptionist thought when she saw us. Me with bloodshot eyes, him attempting to dazzle her. It worked of course, she had no idea that I was there against my will. She even took the time to say how much of a cute couple we were, which only made me feel worse.

Edward was pacing around the room, muttering to himself. I hadn't ever seen him like this before. It was a bit scary, if I was honest.

"What now, huh? What are your grand plans?" I asked.

"Just let me think" he snapped. He was really angry. For the first time since I saw him, I was suddenly afraid of him.

"Why don't you just sit down?" I asked, trying to sound casual. "No one has any way of knowing where I am. They're not coming" I said, my heart breaking inside but maintaining a casual expression on the outside.

He sat down across from me at the table, his eyes were black. He hadn't hunted in a while. This was concerning.

"Bella, you have no idea how much I have missed you these last few months" he said.

"But… Edward, you left me. You left me stranded in the middle of the forest. I almost died" I said, tears streaming down my face now.

"That wasn't my plan, Bella, you have to know that. I had to make you think I didn't want you so that you could be free" he said.

"I wasn't free, though. Not for a long time. I was a mess Edward" I said. "I didn't eat, couldn't sleep, and when I did, I was plagued by nightmares where I was wandering around the forest, searching for something that was never there" I continued. "Edward, you completely destroyed me!" I cried.

"I'm sorry, Bella I'm so sorry, it will never happen again" he said as he reached for my hand.

Despite the severe coldness of his touch, I left my hand there, hoping that if I went along with it, I would eventually have the chance to escape.

"We can be together now, you and me. I promise. We'll go away, we'll go far away, I'll change you and we can live together forever" he said. I shuddered at the thought of becoming what he is. There was once a time where I wanted nothing more than to be an immortal vampire, free to travel the world, rich beyond my wildest dreams, but now the thought of it repulsed me. Everything was so different. He even smelt different.

Where there was once only admiration for his strength and beauty, there was only disgust. His once beautiful voice screeched in my ears like nails on a chalkboard. The more I thought about it, the more if affected me until eventually I felt like I was going to be sick.

"I need to use the bathroom" I said, getting up.

He moved so quickly to be beside me that it made me dizzy and I stumbled.

"Its ok, Bella, I've got you. I wont let anything happen to you" he said.

I straightened up as he held onto me, his vice like grip making me shiver. He leant in close with his eyes closed and breathed in my scent.

"I've missed you so much" he whispered into my ear. His cold breath making the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, but not in a good way. "I could change you right now, I promise it will be quick" he whispered. "Then we could leave this place, together" he went on.

"Edward, there are so many humans here, if you change me now, I will most likely kill them all, wouldn't I?" I said, hoping to bide my time. I didn't know what I was waiting for. He never slept, never ate, he could quite easily sit still and watch over me forever.

"You're right. You're so right Bella, what was I thinking?" he said.

"I really need to use the bathroom Edward" I said as I attempted to pull away from his grip.

'I'll be right here" he said.

I made my way through the bedroom and into the bathroom where I shut and locked the door behind myself. I splashed water on my face and glanced in the mirror, trying to figure out what to do. I looked to the window but it was painted shut. Even if I could get it open, it was on the second floor. The drop would kill me. As I stood there in the middle of the room, trying to figure out what to do, there came a sudden urgent banging on the door.

"Bella, hurry, we need to go, now. There are werewolves here" came Edwards panicked voice. My heart started to beat faster, Jake had found me and come to save me.

"Just a minute" I called back stalling for time, hoping that they would burst in at any moment and rip him to pieces.

"Bella, honey, we need to go now" he called, the affectionate term making me almost vomit.

"I said, just a minute, I'm in the middle of something" I called back.

When all was quiet, I heard the beep of the room door followed by heavy footstep and deep voices. I was so afraid that Edward would knock down the door and snatch me away so I hid in the bathtub, curled up in a tight ball.

I had my eyes shut tight that when the bathroom door burst open, I barely noticed. The first thing that my senses allowed me to process was the sweet sound of Jake's voice.

"Bella, Bella!" he was saying, frantically. I looked up and saw his beautiful face, his eyes gazing at me as though he hadn't seen me in such a long time.

"Jake! Oh my god Jake, I was so afraid" I said, tears now streaming down my face.

"I got you Bells, I've got you now" he said.

"How did you find me?" I asked.

"You phone. That tracking app you installed, it seems as though it works both ways" he said.

"Oh, that? I completely forgot about it. Emily installed it ages ago and I think I used it once" I said.

"It's ok, it doesn't matter, I found you. You're ok" he said as he kissed me all over my face.

"Wait, where is he? Did you get him?" Why is everything so quiet?" I asked.

"He jumped out the window, but he won't get far, we slashed his tyres" Jake said with a grin.

I worried now, knowing that Edward had gotten away, potentially able to come back for me at another time.

"Sam, Paul and Embry are out there now, chasing him. Paul's fast, if anyone can catch him, its Paul" Jake said.

It didn't alleviate my worries and I just threw my arms around Jake and sobbed into his shoulder. He carried me out to the main room and sat on the sofa with me in his lap. I held on to Jake so tight as though if I let go, he might disappear.

We sat on the sofa in silence, just holding each other while minutes ticked by. I couldn't bring myself to let go until I heard the distinct sound of a wolf howling.

"Jake…" I said as he sat upright.

"I know Bells, but I can't ignore it" he said.

"Please don't leave me here alone" I begged. Suddenly petrified that if he left me alone, I might crumble.

"I'll have to bring you then. Can you walk with me?" he asked. I nodded.

We hurried out of the room and I grabbed my phone as we headed past the kitchen. Jake shut the door behind us and I didn't look back as he walked and I ran through the hall and down the stairs. Hand in hand, we hurried past the reception desk, receiving confused looks as we went. We headed out the doors and around the back of the building where Jake started taking off his clothes.

"Ummm, Jake?" I began.

"I need to phase so I can communicate with them" he said.

"Right" I answered, as he, now naked, started to shiver and morphed into a giant wolf.

Wolf Jake stood there for a few seconds, his ears pricked upwards, sniffing the air. He pawed at his pants on the ground until his keys fell out and he looked over to his car. I got the hunt rather quickly and gathered up his things before rushing to the rabbit and starting the engine.

Jake raced through the streets, hiding in dark corners of buildings as I attempted to follow. It didn't take us long before we were at an abandoned warehouse by the dock. Jake was pacing as I parked the car and put a paw up as though he was telling me to stop.

"No way" I said, shaking my head.

He just nodded his huge head.

"Nope, you're not leaving me here alone" I said.

He looked at the ground, shaking his head and quickly gestured for me to follow. I didn't waste any time, running after him as he headed towards the entrance of the warehouse. It was dark inside and I got my phone out to turn on the flashlight.

When I shone the light around the empty space, I was confronted by the sight of three huge wolves surrounding a limbless Edward.

I knew that the wolves would tear him apart once they caught him, but nothing could have prepared me for the sight that was now in front of me. Edward's face was contorted in agony, he lay on his side, his arms and legs discarded several feet away. A fire was burning in one corner waiting for Jacob to come and take care of the business he so desperately felt he needed to.

"Wait!" I yelled, as Jake approached the defenceless Edward. He stopped and looked at me, confusion registering on his face. Even in his wolf form I could read him like a book.

"You know why this needs to happen, right?" I said to Edward.

"Bella… Please… I thought we were going to go away, leave this place?" he begged.

"No way! You kidnapped me Edward. You took me against my will!" I yelled. "You deserve this. Deep down inside, you know that this has to happen, don't you?" I asked.

"Bella…" he started. He jerked his head to Jake who now was staring in his direction. "Oh… I see how it is" he said. "Well, by all means, do what you have to. It will be a far less painful thing for me to die now, than if I shall live, knowing what I've done... Bella, I'm sorry for everything, I'm sorry for abandoning you, I'm sorry for the pain I caused, for the heartache. Please… will you forgive me?" he asked.

"I forgive you" I said.

I nodded to Jake who leapt at Edward's throat. I turned away as I heard the sounds of his marble flesh being ripped to pieces and being tossed into the fire. I jumped when I felt a warm human hand on my arm.

"It's ok, it's over. He's gone" Jake said, holding me against him. "I'm sorry it had to come to this Bells, but he was saying some really bizarre stuff. He was never going to give up. He was always going to come back for you. At the end, I showed him all the memories I had of you from before when you were messed up and that's when he started begging you for forgiveness" Jake said.

One silent tear rolled down my face, sad for the person he used to be. He had lived such a long life, had been so troubled by his issues and it had just come to this. I wondered if the other Cullens would ever know what truly happened. I for one would never tell them the truth. They would probably go on thinking that Edward left them and I was perfectly ok with that.

We all headed back to Jake's car and crammed in. I offered to sit in the back but Jake wouldn't hear of it. We travelled back to La Push in silence as we all absorbed the reality of what happened. Jake dropped the guys off at their places before heading back to his house.

When we walked in the front door, I was suddenly really tired. I greeted Billy with a brief 'hello' before going directly into Jakes room and collapsing on his bed. I laid there for a minute, considering the idea of shutting my eyes, when I caught a whiff of myself. I reeked of vampire. I quickly ran to the bathroom, jumping in the shower, clothes and all.

I stripped them off and threw them into the nearby bathtub before washing myself twice. I hoped that it was sufficient as I headed back to Jake's room to find something of his to wear. Jake was briefing Billy on what happened while I got dressed.

Once I had put on something of Jakes, I fell onto the bed and closed my eyes.

Before I knew it, I was running along a gravel road, travelling as fast as I could. I knew there was something chasing me, but I couldn't make out what it was. I turned my head to chance a look but it was dark. I kept running, knowing that if I stopped I would die. I veered off into the forest which surrounded the road on both sides. I fought my way through the roots and branches and only stopped when I fell. I laid there for a moment before realising that I knew where I was. It was the same place I had been when I searched for Edawrd and was found by Sam. Only, this time, the figure that appeared out of the dark wasn't a huge black wolf, it was Alice. And her eyes were gleaming red. I screamed out for help, but none came. I called for Jacob but there was no use. I tried the names of every member of the pack in turn, but again, no one came. Only Alice slowly crept ever closer, her eyes red and her fangs out. She was speaking but I couldn't hear any words. It was so quiet, it was like I was deaf. As she knelt down beside me to deliver me to death, I let out a gut wrenching scream.

Before I knew what had happened, I was being shaken awake by Jacob.

"Bella, shhh, Bella its ok, it was just a dream. Its ok Bella" he whispered as he cradled me in his arms, rocking me back and forth like a baby.

"Jake…?" I said.

"I'm here Bella, I'll never leave you, I'm sorry, I was just talking to Billy" he said.

"Alice was there. I was in the forest. No one came to save me. She was… She was going to…." I stammered.

"It's ok Bella, it was just a dream, its ok. I'm here. No one will hurt you" Jake said.

I sat up, suddenly aware of my surroundings. I was breathing heavily, drenched in sweat.

"That was terrifying" I said as I caught my breath.

"I could tell, you were calling out to everyone" he said.

"But no one was there" I said.

Jake just stroked my hair as I allowed myself to calm down. Before long, I was asleep again, only this time, I wasn't confronted with bad dreams.

The following morning, I woke to find Jacob asleep next to me. I lay on my side watching the steady rise and fall of his chest, thinking about how lucky I am to have him by my side.

I carefully climbed out of bed and put on the clothes of mine that I left here the other day after it rained. I headed out to the kitchen with great plans to make breakfast for Jake. As I headed down the hall, I heard the distinct voice of Emily.

I entered the room and noticed Billy sitting at the table with Sam and Emily on the nearby sofa.

"Oh, hey everyone. I was going to make breakfast" I said, awkwardly making my way to the kitchen. Sam glanced at Emily and she gave a small giggle.

"Bella, its lunch time" she said softly.

"Oh, wow, I must have slept in" I said, feeling a bit silly.

"You had a rough night" Sam said. "You probably needed it" he said.

"Yeah, I suppose I did" I said. "I should probably go wake Jacob up" I said as I turned to exit the room.

"Hang on a minute Bella, we want to have a talk with you, if that's ok" Billy said.

"uh, ok" I said, hoping I wasn't about to get some lecture about getting myself kidnapped last night.

"We're really sorry about what happened to you last night. It was stupid of me to allow the pack to have a night off when I knew that there was a risk. What happened is my fault and I'm sorry" Sam said.

"Wait, Sam, that wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault. I was taken by my ex-boyfriend. It happens in the human world too" I said, coming to the defence of the pack.

"It's our job to keep vampires away and we failed" he said. "Ex or not, he got to you right under our noses and that's not something a pack like ours should be allowing" he continued.

I looked to Emily who shot me a look that said, ' _just go along with it'_ so I agreed.

"Ok Sam, its ok. I forgive you" I said, hoping that it was the right thing to do.

Sam's shoulders suddenly slumped and he looked far more relaxed.

"That settles it then" he said.

"There's another thing I wanted to ask you Bella" Emily said before she got up from where she sat.

"I'm opening my new catering company in a few weeks and id really love it if you would be my business partner" she said.

"What? Are you serious? I would love that! Thank you, Emily, that would be amazing" I said, completely stunned. I walked over to her, leant down and hugged her.

"We'll talk about all the finer details another time, but I've never seen anybody like you in the kitchen. You're a natural and I'd be crazy not to snap you up" she said as she stood to leave.

I said goodbye to Sam and Emily and headed back into Jake's room. When I opened the door, he was wide awake, laying back with his hands behind his head. He looked so sexy, I almost forgot what I came to tell him.

"Emily just asked me to be he business partner" I said excitedly.

"I heard" he said.

"Why didn't you come say hello?" I asked.

He didn't answer, just lifted the blanket exposing his morning glory.

"Oh, right" I said. "That would have been a tad awkward… So, what do you think… About the business?" I asked.

"You realise you won't be able to graduate" he said. It brought my excitement suddenly crashing down.

"Oh… I didn't think of that" I said. "I guess I could see if I can do extensive subjects till the business opens?" I suggested.

"Yeah, that might work" he said. "Actually, while we're on the subject of that, I've been offered a job at a mechanic" he said.

"What? Wow, Jake that's amazing" I said.

"But I will have to quit school, immediately" he said, "and start work Monday morning".

"Oh, wow… That's a huge decision" I said.

"I already accepted it Bells" he said.

"You did?" I asked, feeling slightly offended that he didn't talk to me about it.

"I'm not an academic Bella, I don't get all that Shakespeare stuff like you do, I'm no good at chemistry and I can't add huge numbers in my head. The one thing I'm good at is cars" he said.

I just nodded, knowing that what he was saying was the truth. I knew that his passion was cars and he was great it. Why not embrace this opportunity? He still had over a year to go of school and if he missed this opportunity it mightn't come around again.

"It won't be the same at school without you" I said as I leant down and kissed him.

As the weeks rolled by, I managed to get myself into an accelerated learning course in the school. Given that I had already completed much of it at Forks high school, I was able to graduate earlier than everyone else. I got my diploma with a week to spare before Emily and I opened our catering business. We already had a bunch of customers lined up so we were excited for our business to take off.

Jake and I never stayed apart at night. I always stayed at his place or he stayed at my house. We were still in the stage of our relationship where we couldn't keep our hands off each other. It was to the point where I turned up at his work one day, desperate for some loving.

I walked straight past his boss and into the back where I saw his legs sticking out from underneath a car.

"Hey there" I said, bending low.

"Hey there yourself" he said.

"You busy?" I asked.

"I'm actually due for my lunch break, you wanna grab something?" he asked.

"Oh, I want to grab something alright" I said.

Jake rolled out from under the car and looked around. He gestured to the little office out the back and I nodded. He led me by the hand into the small office and locked the door behind him. I removed my underwear from underneath my skirt and sat up on the bench. Jake walked towards me, unbuttoning his pants. I could see his bulge was ready to go.

There was no need for a condom as I had been to the doctor and gotten the shot that meant I would avoid pregnancy. The first time we had sex without a condom was game changing for me. There was no way I would ever go back after experiencing it like that. The feeling of Jakes skin on my skin just took it to a whole other level.

Jake grabbed my hips and pulled me to the edge of the bench.

"This is going to be fast" he said.

"That's what I'm here for" I said as I wrapped my hands around his erection and guided it towards my waiting arousal. I wrapped my legs around him, desperate for the contact.

There was no easing in, no patience, no gentle carefulness, Jake pounded into me with all his might, over and over again. I leant back on my hands and threw my head back in ecstasy. Jakes hand found the sensitive nub just above where his body joined with mine and he brought me to orgasm in an instant. As I bit onto his shoulder to prevent my screams from escaping, Jake thrusted into me a few more times before groaning with his own release. I kissed him passionately before hopping down off the bench and he kissed me back as he buttoned his pants.

I slipped my panties into his pocket before wiping the bench down with some anti-bacterial wipes and headed for the door. As I left, I waved goodbye to his boss and hopped into my truck. I had no doubt that they knew what we were up to but I couldn't care less.

We were young and in love, exploring our world with each other in the only way that made sense.

During the weeks that followed, Emily and I opened our business and were doing really well. We had customers from La Push and Forks and even some from Port Angeles. We were making enough to rent a commercial property in Forks that had a small apartment above it.

It was perfect timing as Jake and I were beginning to get desperate for privacy. Charlie was now in a serious relationship with Linda, meaning I would often come home and find them canoodling on the sofa. Billy was still insisting we leave the door open when I stayed at their place so we agreed that we would move into the apartment. Although it was tiny, it had everything that we needed.

Jacob's sister Rachel agreed to care for Billy and was able to get a job in Forks. She initially only came for a visit, but after Paul imprinted on her, she decided to stay. Jake was extremely annoyed by this, but he knew that there was nothing that could be done. Paul's earth now revolved around his sister and he had to see them swoon all over each other every time we all hung out as a group.

As the weeks turned into months and the months turned into years, life in our little town was peaceful. I was so happy here, with Jake and the pack. Jake and I bought a house just on the outskirts of La Push after a few years of saving and had been doing it up to make it just right.

On the night of our 5th anniversary, Jacob took me out to a fancy restaurant in Port Angeles and asked me to marry him. I said yes and we married 6 months later. We honeymooned in Hawaii and came back to discover after a few weeks that we were going to have a baby.

I didn't see or hear from the Cullens again. They never came looking for Edward and never came to visit.

We were both beyond happy in our life together and we knew that as long as we had each other and our growing family, life would be great.

 **AN: I hope all the loose ends were tied up. Not that i think there were many to begin with. If you feel dissatisfied, let me know and i can add some or fix what needs fixing. The last three chapters have been smashed out in a day, while I'm home alone with my three kids and sick with a cold, so i think i did alright :-)**

 **Once again, thanks to my loyal readers and to my reviewers, keep reviewing.**

 **If you like Bella+Jacob, try my other ff. Its not as descriptive but its got some good references. It starts after the battle at the end of Eclipse.**


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